What Happens To Them (Poetry)

They move in okay
nothing untoward
to raise warning flags
seem pretty normal
in their own odd way

So what made them change?
what storm broke the lull
brought battle-strewn days
all conflict — no fun —
the setup’s turned strange

His trigger’s hair-thin
voice loud as a gun
spits anger ad lib
wound up by the kid
his mother’s sweet thing

And they’re not the first
family to go
on this nightmare ride
it’s some horror show
for that flat is cursed

Old baggage they bring
it festers — goes bad
the pattern’s the same
alarming and sad
they’re doomed not to win