Punching Pillows

The conspiracy started
after midnight
when the Somalis decided
to bake bread
taking it in turns to kneed
chattering as they pounded
through the wall

Then the trains began
rumbling long and low
secretly transporting
nucleur waste in both directions
It's a different clackety-clack
always more muffled
than a locomotive carrying mail

After three
a swarm of sirens kicked in
to feed greedily
on the last scraps of silence
How many types of trouble
can a city scream?
Maybe I should put work on hold
start on a siren spotter handbook
first thing?
Chapter one...

It was a signal for the last drunk
to stagger from the Irish club
and sing his life story
With a voice like that
no wonder she grew tired
ran off to Naples with an Italian
leaving his bloodshot emerald eyes
to endlessly circle their way home

False dawn and a trippy moon
tricked the birds again
they get dumber every year
and before the heavy rainstorm
not forecast until noon
decided to gallop
gleefully in from the west
timing its arrival to coincide precisely
with the first wail of the alarm
I drifted
into my deepest
crumpled sleep