Hazardous Occupations

Drew Pisarra

No one benefits when people
rob newly found dinosaur bones
or resort to grave robbing
or the defacing of temples.

And yet I look at the 54 mailboxes,
in the lobby of my building
and think of the well-behaved lives
that go along with them.

54 opportunities to rob a bank
or orchestrate a Ponzi scheme
wasted. 54 chances to forge
a check for a million-dollar
potential, long gone.

Perhaps quieter crimes
are being committed. Maybe
4G is demeaning her daughter.
Maybe 3J won't pet his cat. Meow.

Two mailboxes in the lobby stand
broken. Their doors flap open
like two tired robot dogs
with metal tongues. Ruff, ruff.

Someone should loot one.
More likely the Super will
seal them shut like tombs
and let the mail pile up
on the window sill for eternity.