the walls are white
and clean
well dusted.
on the counter
the plastic bowl
full of snacks
untouched;
everyone who lives here
is careful
to be worried about their weight
(I am sleeping with one of them currently –
this doesn’t bother me at all).
and there are three laptops
on the table by the sofa – one is old
and only used
to project films on the opposite wall
but the others
are well maintained,
paid for
by jobs
in the tech sector.
them
I am not allowed
to touch
(I break things).
the windowblinds
are spotted with moths
trapped
when the things were rolled up
and there is always
laundry being done.
how wonderful
to look outside
and see into everyone’s apartment.
and how terrible,
knowing
they can look up
and see me
looking in.
DS Maolalai has been called “prolific”, though he refers to himself as “incontinent” His poetry has been released in two collections, “Love is Breaking Plates in the Garden” (Encircle Press, 2016) and “Sad Havoc Among the Birds” (Turas Press, 2019). He has been nominated four times for Best of the Net and three times for the Pushcart Prize.