Photo by Eye for Ebony on Unsplash

Musical Selection: Hello by Erykah Badu, featuring Andre 3000

thunder

a free verse poem

my neighbor has thunder
in her heels.
she storms down our
hallway, but at an
easy-going pace.

I smile — say, "Hey, there!"
in my slight Southern drawl.
she smiles — returns the
greeting.

on our end of the hall,
there are four doors.
I catch her mostly, turning
the corner like her life
depends on the next step.

she's a fortress ... looks
down at Jernee and gushes.

I pull her leash tighter in my
hand, keep her close to me.
we pass her often — 
in a hurry to slide through
our door.

I hear her say under her breath,
but loud enough to get
my attention — "Have a good night."
I respond, "You as well."