POETRY: Grandma's House Part I - Based on Actual Events

Grandma’s House – Part I

Looks like a palace from the street,

ranch style monstrosity stretched out

taking up half the block—glitter mixed

into white stucco walls

with red trim, gleaming like Pretension

in the Las Vegas sun.

Green trees lean their elbows

on Spanish-shingles

and talk to each other about leaving.

It’s dark in there. Secrets like it better

in the dark; secrets so dark

even the shuttered windows shudder.

Looks like money from the inside,

Room after room after room

thrown out like dice;

women in three-digit numbers—

their whole lives now a gamble—

ambling in and crawling out…

… empty.

The resident ghost suddenly stricken

with interminable insomnia

leaves the master bedroom and laughs

his face off

about the house,

jilted.

He floats around like he’s only slightly wilted.

Boy, if those splattered walls could talk…

but his ex-girlfriend just put up paneling.

Besides, everybody knows

the house always wins.

Looks like back to back business as usual

taking cash, fist under hands,

all that dirty money

in the bank.

That is,

until the phone starts squealing,

They’ve found you… they’re coming

get out… go right now…

So they do, barely

enough time

to pack

their secrets.