Dear Adeline
Are you surprised
To hear from me now?
The neighbor’s been quiet
Since mamma died
Polly’s closed down
For good

I’ve had a long, long time
To think of this, what I would say
If I could ever reclaim the voice
That once was my own
That you took away
Until now

A smoker sings through a hole in his throat
A rotten bird is cooking on the road

Oh Adeline, are you surprised to hear from me, dear—
Out from your phone, through snarls of wires, into your ears?

The
Things
You’ve
Done
Won’t
Go away
So
Easy
May all our evils circle back around!