Patience in the 1990’s

We were patiently waiting for our lives to start
All around us, suburbs burned to cinders
It snows created houses in Los Angeles,
In October, the chaparral is patient with fire.

Anywhere is better than this we mumble
As we shuffle along in a group on sidewalkless roads
We’ll go to San Francisco when high school is finished
The patient bus rider, the Tarot known as “waiting man”

Commented to everyone about the advertisement
On the bus: Heaven help us. We ignored him, but the ad
Answers back, I’m trying to be patient with you,
but it doesn’t seem we have much time left.

– Marcy Erb of Illustrated Poetry