the ice cream truck

the maniacal ice cream
truck
rolls by every day
in my neighbor hood
at 5 pm.
a time that I call nap
time.
but I can't sleep.
I can't get my twenty
minute power
nap in
because the ice cream
truck is playing
its one song.
a simple loud clanging
of bells
in some ridiculous
repeating order.
I peer out the window
and see the smiling
bearded man
with a turban
slowing down in the court,
then the herd of children
run out with their
five dollar bills
to get
a nutty buddy, or a
creamsicle.
screaming like a wild
bunch of hyenas.
it's lord of the flies
out there until
the struck
moves on and finally,
I can get my
snooze in.