clcouch123

Shouting Match

A man

I think it was a man

Was on the sidewalk somewhere

Outside, screaming about something

Early this morning

It might have been about the

Lord

Who will give him understanding

It’s quiet now; I saw no flashes from

Police cars

There is a religious group next door

Maybe some of that group came out to

Attend to him

Maybe not

Maybe they called on everyone’s behalf

There has been silence for a while

I could have been

In a city where

Such happenings are commonplace

But it was here in the center of

Our borough, small Mechanicsburg

Not Queens or Brooklyn

Nowhere near Manhattan

Not even Harrisburg

Across the river

I’m not feeling guilty so much

Nor do I dissemble

I am one

Who else could there be unless the

Dissolution in the building be resolved

Next door they are several

They take up the parking with

Their cars from out of state

The violence was verbal

And, yes, I know, it is an insane world

Proved by this part of it

Raving where there was no crowd

For hearing or responding

Small repentance, if there should be any

Did he think himself

The voice in the wilderness?

A prophet by the Jordan for our time?

I doubt I’ll ever know

I guess I could be

Shaken just a little

I’ll have some coffee now

Then take my pills

I wish I hadn’t used up the bread I had

For toast

Something nice for breakfast

Might be appropriate

A small salve

For a scratched place on my soul

The cause of fear from confrontation

Or maybe

A caution of indifference

An hour later

A touch jumpy, mostly sad

Fifteen minutes more

Now I’m teary

When I think about

The man in the world

All his wilderness

C L Couch

Photo by Mitchell Luo on Unsplash

Melbourne VIC, Australia