Cardboard Condominium

by Edward Jamieson, Jr.

A cardboard dwelling

held together with rotten wood

leans against a pillar

under the freeway overpass.

It's a two room deluxe with no bathroom,

but with plenty of backyard.

The gravel dirt floor is covered

with old blankets and clothes.

The cracks in the wood are the windows;

the scenery is concrete and asphalt.

The door is for crawling in and out,

there is no welcome mat.

The exhaust from the cars and the garbage fumes

keep unwanted visitors away.

No kitchen, no telephone, no cable t.v.,

no air conditioning for the hot summer nights,

no heat for the cold winter nights,

but the rent is free.