By the chain link fence
Lays a worn-out mattress
Surrounded by shopping
Carts filled with soiled clothes,
Cardboard, part of a lamp,
Chip bags, a few crushed beer cans,
An artificial tree, a few kids toys,
A broken window frame, parts of an
Abandoned bicycle, a car headlight,
Tattered books, various mismatched shoes,
A TV that hasn’t worked since the ’80s.
Once in a while someone walks by
And rummages through this conglomeration,
Hoping to find something of use
Instead of reminders.
