instability rules
it may be their first move of several
she patiently explains –
the adjuster figures three months
of smoke remediation
but insurance will only approve
one month’s lodging at a time
so, by the time next month’s okayed
the Airbnb they’re in now
may be booked by someone else
and they’ll have to start all over
all over again
suddenly I see how these displaced children
won’t just be displaced once
families may be shuffled around
for months, or years
for those rebuilding
one thousand households
dwelling in uncertainty
instability rules
