food stamp trailer
on the corner…
with
thirteen
cats…
died two weeks
ago.
they found her today;
and animal control
came
for
the
cats.
the county came
for her…
there was
no
one
to
call.
a few lines
in the paper…
no
picture.
cremation,
for all involved!
clothes dirty and worn…
lies alone in the bed,
except for the cat…
shadows whisper, she moans,
as if closing a book.
even the hungry walls are silent…
the pages of the book
tattered and yellowed.
her teeth broken or gone,
her fist clenched tight,
the comfort of no one,
the prayer to no god.
the clock on the wall ticks amen…
her spirit taken, her fist opened,
a bag of trash falls in the corner,
the old cat runs for shadow,
for dust…
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the boy that broke in
and tried to rob her…
she sat staring into space
while the policemen
did their job…
suddenly she began to weep…
they tried to comfort her,
but she just wept harder.
they told her it was over,
that she was all right.
she finally spoke in a broken voice:
‘i was thinking about my son…’
‘where is he? we’ll get him
for you, bring him to you…’
‘he’s in prison… he got messed up
on pills… ran out, and robbed a store…
he killed the woman behind the counter.’
frozen in deathlike silence,
one by one, they looked down.
they loaded the body into the wagon,
her old cat ran from the porch…
an empty swing hung from a gnarled old tree…
a small trail of blood,
and there was no wind!
her old Bible unopened…
the hands on the clock kept crawling.
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talking to the vacuum cleaner,
and laughing with the broom.
and the pictures of children,
like leaves turning seasons,
stare silently from a distance,
both chosen and not!
the dog bows her eyes,
with worry and love.
and the drone of the tv,
bores holes in the wall.
long grey hair glistening,
as sun sifts dirty blinds.
and the smell of passion,
has turned to old feet.
and no one gives a cold damn,
or understands why…
she has no need of people,
no need for chatter.
she feeds the dog and stops,
staring at the urn on the mantle…
and curses softly,
then breaks down and cries.
only the dog, and the spider in the corner,
hear the whimper,
and feel the brunt of the storm!