it is 9 a.m
outside my window
a hydraulic excavator
smashes rebar skeletons
last week the landlord left a slip
that rent was going up
on account of inflation
and the cost to run things
meanwhile,
3 of 4 washers do not drain,
1 dryer doesn't heat up,
1 dryer doesn’t spin,
the roof leaks straight to a black spot
in the carpet
the roaches scurry over the plates
and Tupperware in the cupboard,
old couples yell through thin walls
young couples have sex on thin floors
everyone suffering from
love too pure
or love not enough
and I think it absurd
not to write poetry
in a time like this