It’s an hour after midnight
and ghosts of those who lived here before
have gone back to their coffins.
The T.V. is on sound turned off,
a muscular man with an ingratiating smile and Californian tan
tries to sell me apparel
that is guaranteed to give me a six pack of a belly, pull up my shirt
my belly is round, white and at ease.
This is the time I enjoy
no evil can happen now.
The black cat, that isn’t mine, meow
wants to come in; licks blood off whiskers
and utterly content curls up on the sofa.