Things Get Broken

You had to leave.

And the bread
Got moldy.

Things went awry.

Shit went inexplicably crazy.

The cream cheese went bad
And the cereal went stale.

The dishwasher died first.

Then the fridge.

A fucking $4,000 refrigerator
And I spent $1,200 getting it fixed.

I had no choice.

I still wash dishes by hand
Two years later.

The dishwasher sits there
Like a skeleton
Amongst many.

The garden became overgrown.

I couldn’t do it all.

The trees that I questioned you about
When you were planting them
Have grown huge
And I’m going to have to take a
Godamn chainsaw to them
Because they’re overshadowing
The rest of the garden and killing everything.

The bamboo that you HAD to plant
Has got the neighbors really pissed off
Because they’re dealing with a foe
With hacksaws
Clippers
And shovels

I can hear them cursing
Everytime they are in their backyards.

The dogs have fleas
And get walked once a day.

I’m losing my hair
And getting rashes on my skin
Trying to save this house.

My body doesn’t like the stress.

My car just got swiped.
Hit and run.
Took out the mirror
And damaged the door panel
And front fender.

When does it end?

The washer just died.

I’m doing laundry at the laundromat.

$2.50 a wash.

$2.00 to dry.

I have a washer and dryer
Just waiting to be exchanged
For something that works.

But I can’t afford it.

I work.

I work, I work, I work.

I just need something to fucking work
Around here
Besides me.

It’s 101 degrees out today.

The air conditioner in my car
Is blowing hot air.
I’m hoping it just needs to be juiced.

The digital thermometer in the car
Flashes 101 degrees.

It’s right there in front of me.

The damn thing works.