Shopping Cart Poem

i began to understand suburbia
when i saw you
in matching suburban leather jackets
pushing your twin shopping carts
down shattuck avenue
with your clothes     heirlooms
and keepsakes from your kids
piled inside
i hoped you'd kept some money too
to survive

neither of you
was dirty yet

i hoped your neighbors
wouldn't have to join you
and wondered how     they could let you be here
instead of in spare rooms
in their own houses

from The Troubles (1993)

Walking Down

i began to believe we left
when i saw you
pushing twin shoppers
with your clothes go down the hall
and keepsakes from a foreign bedroom
piled inside     invisible flesh
i hoped you'd keep
to survive
as i would wake up to

neither of you
was dirty yet
no longer to their taste

i hoped your wonder how we were
and wondered how
instead of in their opium dens of coffee house

i began to believe in eyes open at the image
when i saw you     way across my bedroom ceiling
pushing twin love overcame them all
with your clothes     you're tired
then your bones ache
and keepsakes from you make the decision:
piled inside     move while the angry dogs are left
i hoped you'd kept in your head
a gold machiavelli
to survive

from The Troubles (1993)