Building B Boiler (poem) by Kathy Kopp on AuthorsDen

Building B Boiler
by Kathy Kopp → (All Poetry by Kathy Kopp)
Rated "PG" by the Author.

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Low income housing needs to be repaired, either the housing or the low-income folks living there.
Building B Boiler In my sparse apartment I’m snoozin’ on the airbed. The janitor wakes me with a knock, Hey Mac, could ya give me a hand here? I stumble over to the leaky boiler pulling on my cowboy boots. After the janitor shows me how to turn off the boiler we leap two feet across concrete dodging a busted pipe spraying hot water Holes in the house — a maintenance guy one of the many aims his hammer on yellow siding. He pivots to reach a leak from outside knocking gaps in low-income exterior walls where is the best opening we try for? nowhere at all. A nail shatters through to the shower stall. Running inside, I slip on wet tiles white like the Milky Way Smooth as a ghost I glide Landing on my ass jarring my teeth Who the hell am I? a phantom of myself? Some devious trick drives us to try harder than what is good for us. We know this yet we’re drawn to do it. I meet the ringing of my cell phone. "how to fix a class C boiler, Sir" Midway in phone advice the boiler man yells. Racing over, I stop some leaks. If puttin’ my finger in a metal hole would help I would. The siding man shouts for a hand. (I hope I still have one) We trace along the pipes, patchin’ ‘em chewin’ ham croissants between pliers and wrenches. An old dryer in Building B screeches and rocks like a piston No one in Building B can do a thing about it © Copyright Kathy Kopp 2008

Reviewed by Jerry Engler

Reviewed on May 6, 2008

Amen to what Regis and Karen had to say, Kathy. The poem gave the feel of the helpless state of a person trying to help with none of the control to really allow it...good catch of the frustration. Interesting structure to the poem too...Jerry

Reviewed by Regis Auffray

Reviewed on April 26, 2008

Harsh and real... ...and sad that some folks have to live this way... ...and some even in worse circumstances. Thank you, Kathy. Love and best wishes to you,

Regis

Reviewed by Karen Palumbo

Reviewed on April 21, 2008

Oh boy does this one bring back memories. Once lived in an apartment complex where the landlord would just keep adding clams when pipes busted instead of calling a plumber. After a while I lost count of all the clamps that ran throughout the building....

Be always safe,
Karen