A Neighborhood of Glass Windows

There’s a street in this neighborhood

Much like any of the others

It’s got one and two-story houses

Full of locked doors

And closed windows

They’re houses of glass windows

With curtains held inches open

By delicate hands and suspicious eyes

Always scanning the street

For anyone and anything

Considered undesirable.

There’s something new on this street

That has caught everyone’s attention

It’s a food truck parked on the corner

A taco truck

A rectangular prism

With bright colors

And bold fonts

It’s parked in front of a house

On this street

In this neighborhood

And most believe it doesn’t belong here.

Everyone saw them move in not too long ago

That Hispanic family

A syllable away from something old

Familiar

But much too crass to say aloud

Really

They’re not so different

Mostly quiet

Mostly keep to themselves

Live in their house with glass windows.

But that taco truck on the corner though

Is irregular

Is an eyesore

Must be against regulations

A homeowner’s association

City ordinances

The neighbors agree

People must respect boundaries

Somebody must do something.

Neighbor Jane leads the charge

A hero with a landline

She calls the Department of Public Works

Just a stone’s throw away

Testifies what an orderly street

Her and her neighbors live on

What a disturbance this taco truck has caused

Can it be towed?

Can someone from the city at least

Come out and take a look?

Gossip travels through whispers

A date is set

Anticipation builds

A city official is coming

The neighbors reckon

This will be a day of reckoning.

The city official arrives

Turning the corner onto the street in this neighborhood

Passing the taco truck

Immediately noticing violations

One door down

A car permanently parked on cinder blocks on the lawn

Two doors down

Neighbors pouring chemicals into the storm drain

Three doors

Neighbors cut down a tree belonging to the city

Four doors

A retaining wall built without a permit

Five doors

Neighbor Jane receives five tickets

For five separate violations.

The city official barely restrains himself

From writing on the back of one of her tickets

An old phrase about throwing stones and glass windows

But that’s all pretty common here.

The taco truck remains parked on the corner

The Hispanic family

Continues to live in the house on the street in this neighborhood

They live

Mostly quietly

Windows intact

Moving their taco truck only for business

And for the street sweeper on Thursdays.

And soon enough

They aren’t the only Latinx family in the neighborhood.