A Set Of Neighbors Poem by RIC BASTASA

got this drunk neighbor
and always at night he does nothing but drink
he bangs his head on the table
on the wall
he hits his fists on the chair
he urinates by the window
and his wife shouts at him
and curses him and
threatens to leave him
this early
and he hits her with lots of fist blows
and they will wrestle with each other
wrestle for the gun
wrestle for life
and there will be a big bang
and their baby in the cradle
will cry
and we do not really care
because the principle here is simple
to each his own
problems
the dead tomorrow shall bury their dead
and babies will be taken
by nuns
that is how it works here
in my mind.