Sagging

in the shaggy raggedy little houses,

backyards against the freeway

so many people live their lives,

they lay their head down on the pillow

and drift off to that summery time of sleep,

the sagging back porch

doesn’t matter near so much.

When the water freezes at 40

and the cold, grey sun rains down like clouds

you remember hearing the man on the radio

say it’s important to make sure

the Chinese live up to the fish

or was that a dream?