She says without a hint of irony
And it takes a while to sink in
He looks at their life together
Mortgage they can barely manage
Two kids trending toward delinquency
This fucking house big enough to hide
Four elephants and their trainers
Him working two jobs to make ends meet
Days at the bank, nights at the bakery
Because it was her idea that they
"Branch Out" - meaning more debt, more work
Less life, less time
For what? To be ourselves?
To be a family? He thinks about this
Maybe for a nanosecond
Between finishing the banking, eating,
And starting the bakery job
His whole being drained by the need
To satisfy someone else's greed
So that in those moments he gets to keep
He's not laughing.
© shaun patrick green 2012
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