898

stayed up all night
for a woman to scream
at me in the street

the neighbor’s lights come on
and I point slowly
forcefully
at their window
as if to say
let’s go inside

Linda ignores me
she is still yelling
now cursing and threatening
me and whatever sense of
sanity I sometimes possess

she calms down when the police
show up and flash their lights
she says she hasn’t taken
the right medicine
and that I hadn’t
done anything wrong

he pulls her aside
they glance back at me
I expect to see him again

she takes the steps up slowly
now a woman in wet clothing
trying to get warm
all covered in sweat and tears