Making a List

by Beverly Head

I’m making a list,
and I will be naughty.
I’m checking it twice,
and I won’t be nice.
The ugly:
roaches,
roaches that don’t pay rent,
roaches in the homes of immigrants
being taken advantage of by slum owners
who live in gated communities.
The sad:
people trying to guard their belongings
on the street after being evicted,
the homeless couple at the highway exit
with a sign for food with misspelled words,
the man speeding by them in the BMW.
The happy:
people finding a better place to live,
the homeless couple eating a pizza together,
the man in the BMW getting four flat tires.
The crazy:
me sitting here making this list
and getting crazier and crazier,
thinking naughty thoughts,
checking them twice.
I still can’t be nice.