Tar the Roof

Dirt blood, tar blood, mud
brain and eyes, trailer park
skull, trailers parked
on loose stones, exposed
to the cold, to those
who crawl under to hide
from the police, to stay out
of the cold, with their gold
teeth and needles. Tar the roof
in the summer, tar the aluminum
to keep leaks away
in winter. Tar streaks down
the sides, over windows, widows.
Seal the cracks, seal in the slaps,
the knickknacks, the front porch
booze attacks, weeds growing
through cracks in the sidewalk.
Ex-cons under trailers, ex-cons, pre-
cons, latch-key maybes, babies
in the street on big wheels,
trash heaps at the curb,
social services moving in
next door to not move in next door.
Beer bottles smashed across
the yard, smashed husbands
beating smashed wives.
Sex-ring next door, plywood
door, sky door, sky attic, cloud leaps,
sleep disturbed, scream heaps,
baby screams, lady screams, tires
screech, reach their peek with drug deals,
Meals On Wheels, time steals
from us, steal ourselves, steal
at backyard barbeque banquets,
yard sales, no sales, no time, no thoughts
but the roof, tar roof, tar brain, tar
windows and eyes, tar it in,
tar it in, tar the sky.

Rodger LeGrand