The walls are wearing thin.
I can hear the neighbors.
Listen to them talk,
and fight,
and fuck.
Every word.
Verbatim.
Used to be so quiet here.
No one around
except us
and our dreams
and petty problems.
Seems like
the world showed up
and moved in next door.
I’d call the landlord and complain,
but he doesn’t
return my calls.
The bathroom sink
has needed fixing
for a while
and the roof
leaks
a little
when it rains.
There they go again.
It starts off small,
and then escalates
until they’re screaming
at each other.
I hear doors slam,
and it’s quiet
for a while.
Then there’s
the rhythmic thump
of reconciliation.
I’ve tried calling the cops
a couple of times.
They seem disinterested
and never send a car.
I’ve never been worried
enough myself
to go over and knock.
It’s more of an annoyance,
than a threat.
It used to be
so peaceful here.
We didn’t even know
we had neighbors
for the longest time.
The walls
are wearing thin.
Now, we practically live
in the same world
as each other.
I wonder
if it was meant to be this way?
DJR – 2022
