Government Work
The October rain,
Merciless,
Cold,
And seeping.
I hunch,
The bus long late,
Or I too early,
My head bowed
Before the grey slick chill.
I can see the scars
In the pavement
Where the shelter once stood.
Torn down now -
Better that today
I am wet
Than that tonight
Someone might sleep dry.
They did not bother
To mend the sidewalk,
But only shoved
Some half-assed bulbs
Into the gaping holes,
And then turned to each other
And said: "Good enough
For government work."