“Some Words for the Week”

My father says

the man who owned this house

before I did

left it weeping

and full of three dumpsters

and twenty years worth

of garbage

still when I dig in the yard

and root around in the attic

I find buried trash

bottles plastic barrels

old road signs

pictures of kids

who are probably old now

but I feel for the previous owner

having to sell because

he was unable to live alone

because of his age

for this place is special

the way the hill hugs the house

the way the trees seem

to hold up the sky

and when I leave

I’ll weep too

but hopefully instead of

an inheritance of waste

for the next generation

to sort through

I’ll leave healthy soil

and a yard full

of wild flowers

yarrow and paintbrush

even some raspberries

climbing the fence

Alexander Shalom Joseph is a writer from Gilpin County. He has two published books and one more forthcoming in the Fall of 2022. For more information and to subscribe to Alexander’s Newsletter go to alexandershalomjoseph.com