using the broom

the smoke alarm
tells you that dinner is ready.
you open a window,
turn on the fan,
crack the front door, and take
a dish towel to wave
the smoke out.
it takes awhile
for the nagging scream
to stop.
the thought crosses
your mind of hitting it with
a broom.
it's the same thought
you have when someone
you know
harshly reads
and criticizes
one of your perfectly written
poems.