Music streams through the window, conflicting
with my couch lounging and television watching,
rock n rock grooving
and the neighbor kids playing,
and I consider yelling out the window
that the music is great
but can they turn it down a bit,
decide to leave them enjoying their evening.
Then while I’m in the bathroom
that window open to the breeze too,
a man’s voice yelling, stop crying,
no more crying from you for the rest of the day,
and I flinch away in my space
which should be safe and calm
from the male anger outside,
feeling like the child down there on the ground.