they say she’s sick

cuz she leaves her windows open

when it’s cold outside-

curtains blowing in the wind;

lost her husband and kids all grown-

they pat my head and say leave her ‘lone

but she fascinates me with

her silver blue hair always tied in a bun.

she told me once she’s come undone

and she has to nap from one to three just to put her shoes on her feet,

i have no idea what she means but i smile

and go back to my house.

II

they say she’s crazy

cuz she piles up trash in cardboard boxes on her porch

while she swats at flies with a dingy hankie-

small hands and wrinkled skin,

she looks so sad so i try to make conversation with her.

she tells me she’s come undone

that her whole world is gone and she doesn’t know why

they left her here.

i have no idea what she means and i walk back to my house

wondering if she was happy i even stopped.

III

They say she’s lonely

cuz she talks out loud when no one’s there

and she rocks for hours as if that is her day’s work.

in raggedy slippers and her housecoat,

with arms folded-

in the middle of winter she sits there with her windows open

curtains blowing in the wind

trash piled up in cardboard boxes-

swatting flies;

i don’t know why they left me here she yells

over and over again;

but now i understand,

she really has come undone.