4:30 am when the sun peeked out earlier, because the dog woke with the light. 5:30 am when winter night luxuriated immovably, begrudgingly ceding the blackness to nothing but slate-gray. Doggy had to piss by then. Crashing up the stairs without a leash, half-basement door left unlocked, broom in hand, fistful of bleach, keys to garbage room, hat over brows, three open to doors to lobbies in the courtyard, three options for start-of-day, three entryways clotted with dirt, leaves, abandoned mail. Envelopes were shoved into crevices between boxes, sat there until a mailman saw fit to bring it back and dispose of it, letters addressed to misplaced tenants mulched and shredded. Mailman needs to bring them back sooner, he thinks. Doggy pisses in a corner, it streams down brick, puddles atop pavement.
Doggy
Doggy
Doggy
4:30 am when the sun peeked out earlier, because the dog woke with the light. 5:30 am when winter night luxuriated immovably, begrudgingly ceding the blackness to nothing but slate-gray. Doggy had to piss by then. Crashing up the stairs without a leash, half-basement door left unlocked, broom in hand, fistful of bleach, keys to garbage room, hat over brows, three open to doors to lobbies in the courtyard, three options for start-of-day, three entryways clotted with dirt, leaves, abandoned mail. Envelopes were shoved into crevices between boxes, sat there until a mailman saw fit to bring it back and dispose of it, letters addressed to misplaced tenants mulched and shredded. Mailman needs to bring them back sooner, he thinks. Doggy pisses in a corner, it streams down brick, puddles atop pavement.