Sunny Retirement

He told me his name but I forgot it. Larry, I think.

He lives in the Mojave.  Pioneer Town.

He built the house a decade ago

using two by fours and two by sixes,

a little insulation and dry wall.

No permits. 

He paid $5k for the land.
Property taxes total $400 a year.  

He lives hassle free except when 
he waits for a guy to fill his water tank

or when he sweeps out a sidewinder.

He's got a Kerosene lamp and an ice chest

and one neighbor 800 yards away. 

They rarely talk, just wave and nod.

For 30 years Larry worked in a factory

fixing machines. 
Saw the sun only on weekends.

Now two blue jays and a raven 
wake him every morning. 

Owls pass overhead like stealth bombers.

An occasional coyote wanders nearby

so he keeps a Winchester behind the door.

This year, Larry turns 60 and thinking about electricity.
Just bought a book on how to get it.
But he's wary, like a sidewinder, he'll anchor his head
before making new moves in the dunes.
Life on the grid can be twilit.

Copyright (c) 2012 Ellen McCarthy. All rights reserved.