The Old Man Three Houses Down
1
The old man three houses down
spits on his lawn
The stairs leading to his house
are between
five and ten
made of brick
On them sit eighteen cans
emptied of tomatoes
and peaches
filled with potting soil
stringing plants
and flowers
The labels read
Hunt’s Libby’s
Hunt’s Hunt’s Libby’s
building rhythms
in front of his door
Reading them
on the way
up the steps
affects my
pace and manner and balance.
2
The old man three down
spits on his lawn
With each step
he makes a cracking
sound
When he steps upon the lawn
he and the leaves
do less crackle
than roar.
3
The old man three down
spits on his lawn
his trees
stand nightly
reciting themselves.