Happy Insomniac

How We Deal with It

by Alan Pritchard

They threw stones at us,
threw rocks and boulders,
bricks and logs,
toasters, a hairbrush,
plus a lot of crap we didn't need, or couldn't use.
Take that, they shouted,
and that and that and that!

They even wrote letters of complaint
--in the strongest possible terms--
and would have demonstrated
had the weather been less miserable.

They go to bed seething and sneering at us.

And when it gets really bad,
and the elements conspire outside--
we toast marshmallows,
and keep warm,
brushing each other's hair
in our little home
made with boulders,
bricks,
logs and stone.