My October Visitors Poem by Diana van den Berg

I wonder who you are, my visitors.
Are you callous, and did I read your shreds of human kindness incorrectly?

What are your names?
And what schools did you go to?
What games did you play when you were children
and what music do you listen to now?
How long have you known each other
and why do you work together
and did you learn the trade
or did you just pick it up for yourselves?

Do you want a real job and can’t get one?
Is burgling really as easy as we all imagine?

(11 December 2000)
(This is the 2nd in a series of 3, following on after 'That Friday (29 October 2009) '. The 3rd in the series is 'Back to Normality? ')