Kitty corner from my childhood home
     Stood, with faded and peeling paint
          A gloomy red building
               Jo Lums Chinese Restaurant

We never, EVER ate there
     Not that we ate Chinese at all
          Even with its close proximity
               We still never ventured there

The spicy smell of its kitchen
     The rotting stink of its dumpster
          Would waft our way
               When the crosswind blew

Our neighborhood never had stray cats.
     Mongrel dogs, the occasional raccoon or possum
          A coincidence?
               Yeah, I’m sure that’s it!

2026