barry worked offshore for 25 years
before he got smart and moved back to the mountains
where he met tim who was an intern at a hospital
this was in north carolina
so weekends they’d go white water rafting
in winter they’d be skiing
they bought 5 acres way out in the woods
built a cabin out of reclaimed timber
and one day Barry said to Tim,

“i think we’re finally out of reach
nobody’s looking over into our
back yard
except the birds and the bears and what do they care
what we do or what we are
we can lie around in the jacuzzi all morning
crash on the couch and watch tv in the afternoon
we don’t have to hang curtains
on the windows in our bedroom
we don’t have to hang curtains in our bedroom”

Barry and Tim were a fine looking pair of men
every woman in the county had her eye on one or both of them
the ladies at the church were always collaring Barry
saying “a handsome man your age should be married by now”
then that poacher who lived in a tar paper shack
started trespassing and laying traps
he said he was only hunting bear
but Barry said “Tim, we are fair
game out here
thought we were finally out of reach
nobody looking over into our back
yard...”

out in the country
you don’t see your neighbors
but they are there
they are watching you
they have spies everywhere
so you’re never really out of reach
there’s always somebody looking over into your backyard
curious like bears but scared
of what you are
you can lie around in the Jacuzzi
all morning
crash on the couch and watch TV
in the afternoon
but you have to hang curtains
on the windows in your bedroom
you have to hang curtains in
every room

©1999 Mike West

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