john grey

suburbia behind bars

Imagine the zip code stitched
into the back of your shirt.
Your house number can be
the tattoo on your skin.
And as for the house itself...
can't a prison have drapes
that match the parlor furniture?

The street outside
is gray and asphalt like guards.
Every so often they rearm themselves
with traffic.
Turn on the television....
aren't the faces really watching you?

Nothing like a cup of coffee
in the morning.
Dawn slips it under the door.
Then lackluster backyard trees,
anemic gardens,
are your first visitors.
Your husband greets you
with hugs and kisses.
He makes a reprieve feel
like another year added to
your sentence.


John Grey's latest book is “What Else Is There” from Main Street Rag. He has been published recently in Agni, Worcester Review, South Carolina Review and The Pedestal.