See Sally, Dick, and Jane
in their pretty white house
with the picket fence,
Spot in his doghouse.
Dad smiling as he puffs his pipe
and pushes the mower.
Mom taking the casserole from the oven.
See all the houses without locks.
See the boys and girls as they play
in their yards or peddle
their stingray bikes
with playing cards in the spokes.
See the family, sitting
in front of the TV with
Jeannie and Samantha,
Jethro and Gilligan.
All on the same three Bat-channels.
See Wiley, Elmer, Bugs, and Woody
on Saturday morning.
See dad get out of his chair
to change the channels.
See the schoolchildren
hide under their desks
to avoid the nuclear holocaust.
Hide, children, hide.
See the men in their short hair
fly off into the sky
to walk on other worlds.
See the days drift by
as Sally, Dick, and Jane
grow into the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew.
Then Tom and Huck
and Holden Caulfield.
See Dick grow and get married,
with a mortgage and an ulcer.
And Jane, twice-divorced,
with three kids who never call.
See Sally leave
her fifth rehab session,
finally starting to believe
she may beat this thing
after all.
See Sally, Dick, and Jane
at dad’s funeral,
arguing about the house,
and the insurance,
and how they will get mom
into a home.
See the days come and go,
but mostly just go.