So you got out of the city
to live in the piney foothills
with breezes from the sea instead
of diesel fumes and cries of birds
instead of ambulance sirens.
It was a shock to hear it would
take fifty thousand bucks to run
electric wires from the highway
only four miles away, and since
the well water always tastes foul
you have to drink bottled water,
coyotes ate your dog and cat,
the wildfire fortunately burnt
up the slope from your place and while
you are still coughing from the smoke
now you have been told a mudslide
just might happen without warning.
Today you saw on your cell phone
(good reception on the other
side of the hill) that crime is down
in New York City, making you
think of lazy hours spent among
gentle people in Union Square.
George Ryan was born in Ireland and graduated from University College Dublin. He is a ghostwriter in New York City. He is author of Who You Need to Start a Riot (Elkhound, 2017).
Appears In
Cagibi Issue 6
