Words from Inside My Head

I used to be a burglar

but I quit, quit breaking into houses

I’d been invited to

by men with promises

like keys

around their necks.

Knocking on your door one night

a computer came to answer,

it said you were away

and refused to let me in.

The locks had been changed and

my needs did not compute with

the anxiety you’d keyed in.

I could see you clearly inside

although the lights were off 

and the shades were drawn.

You were

standing in the kitchen 

an unplugged phone in your hand

trying to call for help.

You can’t get help that way,

locked inside the dark you must

break out instead of waiting 

for someone to break in.

I left a note on your doorstep.

This is what it said,

I used to be a burglar, 

but I quit

From the 1970’s