EMPTY MM253

Oh, Mr. Milkman
I never knew you.
But the tales of your glory are one hell of a story.
And oh how your legend grew!
***
Oh, Mr. Milkman
It all seemed so sweet.
You delivered your goodies to all sorts of foodies,
Up and Down the Street.
***
The people they thanked you and paid you.
You knew every house on the block.
When someone had a shindig, party or wedding,
You knew just what to stock.
***
And then something happened.
So unbearably harsh.
The orders got sparser and rarer and barer.
The profit sank into the marsh.
***
It got harder and harder
to simply pay rent.
What would happen
to this life nearly spent?
***
And who was to blame for this reversal of fortune?
Was it the blacks or the gays or the Jews?
Maybe it was immigrants or political correctness?
For surely these topics give us the clues.
***
Sadly the reason was much more banal,
That thing that destroyed our great nation.
Oh, Mr. Milkman it’s none of those causes.

It was simply personal refrigeration.