Rental House

Four cars fan out on the dirt
angle off the drive where grass used to be
the garage door cockeyed a volleyball net set up
in a rough-mowed rectangle four guys
I’d say twenty-five or so years old and
two of them strowing around buckets
sort of flinging them by the handles
haphazard either side of the net
the other two tossing out squishy rubber balls
medium size like what the little kids have
so the guys team up in twos start winging balls
some make it over the net some into
and if it’s that they are aiming at the buckets
none are going in none
the idea more seems to be
deflect the ball with your chest
then throw yourself into the grass
lie there laughing
Two of the guys are beer cans in hand
two not and I wouldn’t know how to evaluate
the beer/no beer effect on play
no matter how long I thought about it and
all of this going on with the stone house
falling back hiding in the background
shabby with the sun on it showing up
the weeds around the porch the scorch mark
on the door. The guy with the long hair
and a beer kicks a ball across the net
hits the non-beer bald guy in the head
they the both of them they fall on the ground
they lie there laughing

7/11/19