Buy them a beer
and invite them over
for a barbecue
when happy hour
ends in a blaze
of fiery clouds.

Yes, they’ll spill
on the carpet,
dump a burger
into the grass,
and adjust pictures
on the walls,

and they’ll snore
on the couch
ready to disturb
your slumber.

Instead, stay up
and talk to them
about everything;
examine their crows feet,
their callousness,
their downward turning
smile. Become friendly,
intimate, so they never
worry you again.