stairs

by timothy t jones

i climbed the stairs the door was locked i went back down and talked to the clock the clock said ten i said nine the clock said the man is a friend of mine if you say one thing i will say another you have my number but you are not my brother i remember the days when folks were polite they wore bow ties and did things right i went outside with a frown on my face i looked for the truth but found empty space the streets were filled wth the living and the dead i stood in the river and scratched my head