Richard’s Scary (Unpub)

     Our 

town's quite small. No urban sprawl.

(We still love all our trees.)

     No 

franchise wars. No big-box stores.

No oil refineries.

     Just 

look aroun.' No fact'ry town.

No smog. Just balmy breeze.

     Our 

town does welcome immigrants

who flee from jeopardy.

     Ex-

otic stores...? They've open'd scores

(which open doors for me).

     They 

fit in fine. We all combine

as one -- small -- family.

     "But 

how," you ask, "might each one's task

impact their work, their play...?

     Does 

where they spend their days depend

on what their name is...? Hey,

     might 

each one's name be most to blame

for where each spends the day...?"

     Archie's at the arch’ry range.

(His aim remains sub par.)

     Barbra's at the barber shop --

where all her brothers are.

     Ba-

kari's at the bakery.

(Let's go: it's not too far.)

     Ca-

milo's at the camera store.

(He’d love an SLR.)

     De-

lilah's at the deli.
(Esmerelda's there as well.)

     Flo-

rissa's at the florist.
(Florie loves “that bloomin’ smell.”)

 
     Grover's at the grocery store,

though Homer’s still at home.
Isaac’s at the ice cream parlor.
(Ike thinks, “When in Rome…”)
 
Jim’s at the gymnasium.
Kenneth's at the kennel.

     Lu-

mumba's at the lumber yard:
he finds fir "fundamennel.”
 
Mark is at the market.

Nicolai's pursued her there.
     O-

celpha's at the oculist:
“I'd like that horn-rimm'd pair.”
 

(a work in progress) 

Pete is at the pizza parlor.

Quenton...? He's there, too.
Reece, at the recycling center,
wonders: “Where are you…?”
 
Sugar's at the shoe store.
Travis...? At the track,
where he’s trying --unsuccessfully --
to win that C-note back.

Una's at the union hall.
Victor’s join’d her there.

Wally's at the Walmart 
(though he could be anywhere).
 
Xavier’s with Yoda
at the latter’s yoga class.
Zoë’s hangin’ at the zoo.
They all left home en masse.

Our town's quite small.