a heap of rags
asleep on the sidewalk dreaming
of a Jesus, Joseph and Mary
chess set complete with
Satan and his luscious minions
of temptation
scantily clad
forgetting God and the game at stake
he joins the fun loving side
only to have them desert him
when he wakes

I sit comfortable out of step
uniform disheveled
in the herd
of automata that it takes
to perpetuate a society
a bandit of serenity
stealing the curtains
put before the eyes
of the faithful
painted with singular dreams
of picket fences
and vacant smiles
I sing of the joys of freedom
open spaces and dew drops
sauciness of taste sensations
laughing at straight lines
wriggling through the cracks
I thrive

caged trees planted in boxes
dug into concrete oceans
grow slowly
but conspire to join
their root arms in unison
malnourished
they discover sewers
and the strength
to lift sidewalks

© 2007 Sandy Vrooman

smoke stack