Being Seen
a quiet lonely dusk
in the extreme
is setting in
cloudless sky
moon rising late
leaving the universe exposed
in early night
there is some movement
in my neighbor's house
quite a distance over
hard to make out
exactly what it is
that's going down
front rooms
across the road are lit
in the customary way
with only dim inner light
falling dark threatens
as it does
after sunset
to swallow us up
i make the excuse
of wanting to know
everything's in order
everybody's safe
after all
these are
troubled times
country burglars
peeping toms
republican extremists
lurking about
i reach into the closet
take my binoculars out
begin the slow
and tedious task
of focusing while wearing
my glasses
trying to peer
at what's appears
to be moving
surreptitiously
over there
back and forth
behind the glass
and just as
the focal ring adjusts
and the lenses align
the parallel tubes reveal
the only thing going on
is my neighbor
in his window
with binoculars
held to his face
staring at me
you can imagine
my embarrassment
perturbation
this has happened
more than once
later a text
pops on my iphone
with a laughing
emoji and the words
-well at least
we were both seen tonight