Maria Evicted

Returning home that morning
she was not surprised...

All she ever owned,
on the sidewalk
in front of the apartment building entrance.

A couch
a table
couple of chairs
some books
some clothes
an old computer
a mattress
a frying pan
a saucepan
a pack of spaghetti #10...

She had received the notices
she knew it, she expected it...

She approached, sat on the couch.
Pulled out a pack of cigs
- one cigarette left -
she lit.

A thought of "what's next?'
crossed in and out of her mind.
She had a few relatives, one or two friends...

Didn't feel considering options
she walked in the drug store
and walked out back to her belongings
with a fresh supply of smokes
and out of her last ten dollars...

Threw the spaghetti #10 pack in her purse
and started away slowly but steadily
soon disappearing within the faster tempo
of the busy, moving crowd...