Once a cop, now he mows grass.
 He was once fearless and brave,
 now he fishes off the bridge and
 sells oysters to local bars.
Not his shiny patrol car
 but his wife’s old sedan,
 not a sheriff’s star
 but sticky sand.
He still dreams of his siren as
 the lawn mower rumbles.
 Rich people’s gardens are his
 last assignment.

Brookline, Massachusetts

