Walking in the Gate

Walking in the Gate

the gate needs to be repainted,
the white paint is now dotted with
dog prints, tire tracks and footprints.
It swings open, with that intentional
creaking, a poor man’s security alarm.
the gate slams shut, the latch catches.
the sidewalk has been recently shoveled,
there are two door mats at the entrance
to the house, one with a lady bug
decoration, the other a plain black mat.
there are three doorbells, two that ring
in the downstairs and one that rings
upstairs. No one ever uses the ones
that ring downstairs, even though
that’s where I always am, unless I am
sleeping and I don’t want to be
woken up.