The art of being homeless
Peter Irwin
It started
with a tent.
A small, yellow dot
beneath
towering, barkless, skinny, pale trees.
Soon he was evicted with his tent;
his neighbors had complained about his presence.
But the tent
returned.
Stubbornly he built a fence,
wires ankle height
warning
strangers to invade
his space.
His empire grew.
A water collector
placed on its side,
formed a spacious apartment with a view.
The tent was used for storage.
Throughout his construction
he always wore a hard hat -
safety
a top priority.
But safety wasn’t enough.
To protect
his fortune
he acquired a baton.
His neighborhood was
safe.
But the neighborhood felt they weren’t safe from
him.
A crazy man who wore a hard hat
and carried a baton.
Who built a hovel
in a park.
with a tent.
A small, yellow dot
beneath
towering, barkless, skinny, pale trees.
Soon he was evicted with his tent;
his neighbors had complained about his presence.
But the tent
returned.
Stubbornly he built a fence,
wires ankle height
warning
strangers to invade
his space.
His empire grew.
A water collector
placed on its side,
formed a spacious apartment with a view.
The tent was used for storage.
Throughout his construction
he always wore a hard hat -
safety
a top priority.
But safety wasn’t enough.
To protect
his fortune
he acquired a baton.
His neighborhood was
safe.
But the neighborhood felt they weren’t safe from
him.
A crazy man who wore a hard hat
and carried a baton.
Who built a hovel
in a park.