White Picket Fence
I tried so hard
to cover the stains
that splashed through the slats
on the white picket fence.
I thought if I could gloss
over the spots in one or two
layers of glossy white latex
no one would notice
the dirty walls beyond.
I thought we might look
like all the other
well kept, middle class, lake homes
where croquet and badminton were
the games families played.
The problem is
everyone saw and the spots
bled through.
Never mind that
the fence was never
quite high enough
they knew
that while I painted
white on the outside
it was you who
boldly stoked
the red of my life
on the inside.
6/20/00
klk