two women

are you asleep
she says, tapping
your shoulder,
whispering into your ear.
I hear someone downstairs
in the kitchen.
it's fine, you say
the house is haunted,
the last two
tenants died in this
house, in fact in
this room, right here.
sometimes
they get up in the middle
the night for a bite
to eat, a snack.
I hear them talking
at the table.
but they clean up,
leaving hardly a crumb
or dish in the sink.
it's fine. they're
very nice and polite,
it's really okay.
go back to sleep.