my neighbor, Becky

this one neighbor,

let's call her Becky,

who lives

two doors down, has

been on my case

for nearly twenty years.

she's been every member

of the board

at one time or another.

she goes nowhere without

her clipboard.

if i put the trash out

too early, there's a note

on my door,

if my dog barks, another

note. if i paint

my door an unapproved

color, she's quick to

report me.

when the stickers

on my car are about

to expire, she puts a

warning on the windshield.

if my kitchen window

is open and the music

is too loud, she knocks

on my door and tells

me to lower it.

and then i get an invitation

in the mail, she's having

a welcome to the neighborhood

party, which includes

the selling of Tupperware.

she's twenty years late.

Becky.