the exterminator

the sunday morning knock
at the door was loud and
hard, persistent,
getting me out of
bed just enought to crack
and window and yell out,
what? excuse me sir, but
i'm from the exterminating
company and we are doing
a once in a life time
free service to the
community to get rid
of mice that might be
invading your home.
i'm looking into a hole
at this moment next
to your stoop. it's
obviously a rodent
that's doing the digging.
what? i yell again.
i have rats? no sir.
perhaps mice. i can see
him holding up a
laminated photo of
what looks like
the tiniest mouse
in the animal kingdom.
they burrow under
the dirt under
the foundation and chew
right through
the floorboards while
you're asleep. i jump
back into bed and pull
the blankets up tighter
and yell back out to
the young man. okay,
go ahead and get rid
of them. help your self.
but you have to sign
this paper, he says.
never mind then,
go away. i yell. i don't
care. but sir, you
have a hole right here,
all you have to do
is sign this paper
and we'll be your
extermiator for life.
i want to tell him
to spray himself and
go away, but don't.
i shut the window and
lie back down. i can
hear him still talking
but can't make out
what he's saying.
finally he gives up
and i hear him go to
the next door to knock.
i fall back to sleep
and dream about mice.