Love Thy Neighbor

Love thy Neighbor    1/27/2014

I hear a knock at my side door

I get up and look out the window

The beautiful white pristine of the snow

Surrounding my car is marred by footsteps

I follow their origin.

I close my eyes and for a moment

Contemplate not answering the summons.

But I know you will not stop knocking

Until I open the door.

I am eating my breakfast and finish chewing

I do not know if you will be angry

Or hurtful,

Or demanding.

I have not spoken, not once these last 10 times

You use to be a neighbor I shared confidences with

Over tea and cigarettes.

But that was more than 20 years ago.

I open the door and look at you

You wore a coat this time but no hat or gloves.

I cannot see your feet buried in the snow,

Not yet brushed from my steps.

You have a scab on your chin; your hair is long and tangled.

For a woman close to seventy,

You must weigh 80 pounds.

Your hand is on my locked storm door.

“I know I must not be your favorite person

But I got a phone for Christmas

And it is having trouble connecting”: you say.

I think: Seriously? You told me all this last month

When we were talking and you were drunk

I offered to drive you back to the store

And you refused

I let you call your Mother many times that day and the next and the next

You always yelled the same thing

“You have to get me a phone Mom”

Don’t you remember?

Don’t you remember when you yelled at me for not letting you into my house?

Don’t you remember coming back and saying you ‘Disrespect me “ and

‘I am the most disparaging person you have ever met”

Don’t you remember Me telling You to stop bothering Me?

I just nod my head.

Your eyes grow wide like you have hooked me once again,

On your alcoholic fishing rod of deceit and lies.

“I have to use your phone’

You say with that Entitlement in your voice.

I speak for the first time in days

“I can not help you.”

A piece of my breakfast comes out of my mouth.

I am so startled, I do not laugh; just wipe it away with my hand.

You look incredulously at me,

How could I have denied you anything?

You turn and walk down the steps.

Slowly I close the door, lock it and close my eyes.

                                                         You really think we are still friends.