—William Stafford, “Listening”
1.
between the window screen
near a grandmother’s pillow up late again
without sleep watching a movie
“stay away, don’t touch me” a stream-
lined semi shadows the echo
“stop hurting me”
house phone out
cell at her head
she grabs dials
redials a third time
as she shakes onto the porch
barely gasping
into the phone to the answer “911, what is your emergency”
:throat shaking she sits on the step
explains in detail the words moving
from beyond semi trailers fenced in
and 3 acres
of wooded lot
2.
between commercials
between programming
television reflects moods
emotions that are not spoken
silence— a semi-trailer door
slams across the way
sending waves into eyes not heard
wanting one hour she cries inside as she did before
with another
she is here again years later
cell phone left silent
is picked up to send loneliness a message
:second string second place second rung
sounds from emotionless trophy taken to bed
3.
between heart and head
abandonment comes from children
it is said
dad is the victim:
protecting the cubs?
from the harmful bitch?
for years hiding the bullet that kills her:
blindness is real ; silence is foolery
