the strangers that i know

i wish my

walls were thicker,

the floors

and ceiling too in this

old hi rise

building.

i know everything there

is to know

about my neighbors,

the food they cook,

the music they like,

when they go to bed,

when the tv goes on

or off, i know

when they arise

to the chirps of their

alarm clocks.

i hear their footsteps

from the bed

to the bathroom,

i hear the water in

the shower, the toilet

flush.

i hear their arguments,

and the lovemaking

late at night.

but when i see them in

the hallway or on

the elevator going down,

i don't let on to what i know.

we're strangers

in public,

it's better that way.