Straw

I am 30 something
Working days at TXDOT
As a transportation planner,
Nights teaching college classes.
My wife works as a secretary at
What she calls Tree-mendous
University as the UT Regents
Like to cut down the trees to
Build more campus walls.
We are raising our sons
Trying to shape their
Character but one
Night the phone
Rings. I answer.
The lady is
Selling
Carpeting
By phone and
We rent a small
House on north Austin
So I tell her we do not need
Any carpeting because we lay
Down straw each week then
Muck it out and lay down
New straw so thanks
But no sale which
Leaves her a bit
Surprised but
Accepting
Of our
Barn
Again
Frugality.
The next call
Is from a window
Sun screen lady whom
I tell we do not need her
Product as we have bricked
Up all our windows to save on
Heating and cooling but she
Has doubt in her voice so
I try to explain we live
In married student
Housing which
She accepts
As students
Seem too
Strange
Anyway and
She has more calls
To make, so I add the
Part about laying down
Straw and she laughs
But I play serious so
She says that is
Nice and rings
Off as we sit
Around and
Laugh at
The
Gullibility
Of people, not
Knowing 50 years
Later society would
Be so divided into rich
And working poor that these
Straw and brick options would
Actually seem possible and
Lacking only mud to allow
The former to be
Made into the
Latter if
Poor
Enough.
But I muddy
The water
As adobe
Is far too
Passé
If you
Are rich.