art culture politics music humor

In the Next Village Over

by Gregg Miller

The next village over leaves the lights on at night.
The next village over twitches in its sleep.
The next village over wears its hairnet pulled low.
The next village over smokes the most awful
stogies.
The next village over pulls its blinds against the moon.
The next village over refuses every courtesy.
The next village over continues to sport thin knit ties.
The next village over keeps a hangman on
retainer.
The next village over is full of cats in summer.
The next village over simmers soup for warmth.
The next village over lets its fruit go bad.
The next village over has a permanent hangover.
The next village over eats food from who knows where.
The next village over can’t help but eavesdrop.
The next village over snores more loudly than I ever thought a village could.
The next village over has little respect for the things that really matter.
The next village over lets its children run wild.
The next village over forgets where it left off.
The next village over doesn’t know any good jokes.
The next village over is full of schizo-paranoids.
The next village over sneaks extra food at night
The next village over buys its love.
The next village over rests on its laurels.
The next village over is more buff than brawn.
The next village over bites off more than it can chew.
The next village over can’t keep its drainpipes clean.
The next village over is full of dust.
The next village over lost its moral compass, if it ever had one.
The next village over makes too many typos.
The next village over thinks it can make up for lost time.
The next village over hasn’t even been to Canada.
The next village over is afraid to ride bareback.
The next village over plays bad guitar.
The next village over is far too good at computer games.
The next village over closes its pubs at the wrong hour.
The next village over doesn’t understand the ups and downs of the hemline.
The next village over is full of jerks.
The next village over carries on and on.
The next village over takes affront at the least little thing.
The next village over digs its wells too deep.
The next village over has run out of excuses.

Gregg Miller lives in Portland, Oregon, teaching political theory at Lewis & Clark College. He wants you to visit his wife’s website: www.anjaligrant.com.