i could use a new coat of paint
all a board is peeling
that isn’t faded and gray
looking through my windows
i shutter to think
how much longer this can go on
a home that’s gone from red to pink

i could use a new coat of paint
the grand dame of my block i must say i ain’t
so many seasons missing attention
have passed while here i sink

spring i don’t feel it in my foot treads
summer’s heat i peel some more
falling down on my foundation
winter with brittle cold i’m beset

my value from high has gone to bargain basement
there’s hardly any swing left in my casements
the mouse that this house once housed
has left for next door while its years still allow
so please don’t consider it vain
that I ask you to favor me
with a new coat of paint

© Joel Tipple
341