and every far sound called the listening out

—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