i. What’s Left
Cracked bricks, fixtures, fencing,
Hooks & some wire, torn corners of insulation stapled to
Warped wood. Ash.
Porcelain tiles spilt like playing cards.
ii. What’s Next
A pickup jarring down rust-broken pavement on Kronk,
To yards with totalled cars
Stacked in plateaus & canyons.
Heaps of twisted shelving & file drawers,
Truck parts, nails & bolts, washers & dryers,
Wheels & a shopping cart.
Conveyors to the shredder.
iii. And Then
Leaves & plant debris collect,
Weeds grow in tight spaces.
Tropical plants spread quickly up here,
but a couple of cold winters—
Endemic flora, someday, if only.
Moisture corrodes tanks of petroleum & chemicals.
When the first weak spot thins to nothing,
It’s like popcorn.
No one knows how long that fridge will last.
