Disturbing Peace

The man hears the siren sees the lights
and his mind with hands thrust
up puding up and down wind burnt
on a roller coaster going off the
track
flashing like carnival rides at night
through the blinds his eye pokes out
at the street that seems to him
as distant as a sunrise
He sees the old grey man on the lawn in his
robe stubbly faced rubbing armpit
as the notepad sucks ink from the pen of
the tight trousered officer
and the wife peers
out through her
own blinds, hand
on throat

The man watches the head cropped nodding
as the robed grey sleepy man tries to
explain to the
notepad
and he thinks he has never felt whole
nor has he felt half
but he wishes someone would get strangled
in here or start a fire
or disturb the disturbing peace
just so someone would come and listen and nod and write down his words
on his lawn
and maybe take him away and feed
him worry
enough to lock him up so
he can stop thinking "I should get out"
"I should let me out"
the blinds are bars
with the lights flashing in
and he lies on the couch
with his hand on his throat
gagging on his own odor
sinking.