the sunny side of the street

our house was on
the shady side of the street
which I think
affected
our entire lives.
where was the sun?
over there.
a big beam of yellow
light
cascaded down
on them.
who grew great blooms
of flowers
in their yard?
they did.
who had a pool,
where the blue water
glistened like
tiny stars,
not us. the people
who lived
in the house seemed
happier than we were,
too.
their kids seemed smarter,
all of them over achievers.
their marriage,
a rock.
we suspected they had a wonderful
sex life.
even their dog, sparky,
had a spring
in his step,
unlike ours, who sat
curled
under the great oak
tree, licking his paws.
yes. in the shade.