there was
a shooting at
the apartment complex
next to the one
i was dilligently
working at

i didn’t hear
the gunshots
as i toiled on
a good underling
to involved in
the company’s
economic welfare
for petty things
such as safety

i heard the
swelling of sirens
and low staccato
rumbling flock of
lowflyinghelicopters
but this wasn’t my
first day in a
less than stellar
neighborhood and
as long as the lights
aren’t flashing behind
i just keep moving

but once i heard
what actually occured
i realized as i tried
to unknot wiring
people were crouched
fearful for their lives
a block away from me

how many hallways
have i walked down where
a corpse lay bloated
in a filthy room
with a worn welcome mat
forlornly sitting outside

i must have passed
at least a dozen people
over the last couple years
who went to bed that night
and never woke up again

but these aren’t
the kind of thoughts
you want to nestle
deep into your brain
especially not when
the company has needs
which supercede any
and every one of my own