Nasty Smoke

our neighbor is on a roll
he cut down the double row of bushes
that flowered pink so prettily every spring
I didn't need to plant them because he had
tore down the last original house on the block
(he lives in a manufactured home in back)
clouds of mold-dust blew down our way
rented a steam shovel dug a huge pit
bulldozed the wreckage in lit it with a blowtorch
it burned for two days nasty smoke
he leveled the lot and spread gravel
built a huge metal garage right on the road
for his trucks and mechanical toys
it's his land he can do whatever he wants
cut off the arbor vitae hedge along the street halfway up
tried to buy the widow's field evicted the sheep
drove a truck across it leaving muddy ruts
hacked down the middle third of the row of poplars
we'd watched growing so feathery and lovely
in the afternoon light now jagged stumps ten feet tall