20150704 (fallibility)

On the 5th of July 2007 on Skylane

In Cleveland Terrance Hough, Jr.

About 12:45 AM shot nine rounds

Into a group of neighbors next door

Partying with fireworks and music

Killing three wounding two more

Convicted he was sentenced

To life without parole 

What bothered me most was

It could have been me

Earlier in the day mid afternoon

The renters next door set up

Theater speakers on their deck

Tested the volume at super loud

The crackle and pops of cable

Connections drew my attention

The owner lived in Akron

Took great umbrage that I’d call

To complain of loud late parties

That kept me awake 

Work it out with them he’d say

Ignoring my statement that wasn’t happening

His patio between us is likely twelve feet

Plus my walkway another four

So we’re close by comparison although

On the other side we’re eight feet at the most

The crazies got drunk played heavy metal

Worst shot off M-80s after stupidly

Shouting Fire in the hole

I asked them early on

Not to play the music so loud

To go easy with the hand grenades

They set one off for a message

As I walked back to my house

By seven Loki’d crawled under the bed

The booms and boom doesn’t say it

Rattled the windows the floor and my teeth

I called the cops at ten eleven twelve and one

The dispatcher assured me each time

They’d send a car out to check

After two the revelers ran out of rounds

The music got quieter the chatter subdued

Then they started a roaring blaze in the pit

Which sent glowing ashes onto my roof  

The fire department had to take my call seriously

But didn’t show up till the flames had burned down

At the sound of the sirens

And sight of firemen in full gear

Various attendees found their cars and left

Before names could be taken

Success finally they had quieted them down

Cautioned them about large fires in the city

Then they knocked on my door

To tell me the fire was safely contained

Not when I first called 

It was threatening trees

They rent a brick house 

I own a dry tinderbox

Gritting their teeth they withdrew with

Some grumbling as they packed up

Next morning one of the miscreants

In full facial jewelry 

Lips tongue and eyebrows

Met me at the gate to excoriate

Me with many Fs many As

To call me spoilsport 

Would be way too gentle described 

How I was an ignorant et cetera

Inconsiderate of neighbors the one I liked best

Later when I finally heard about Hough

I shook to the core 

Unnerved at the thought of

What could have happened

If I’d had a gun

c. J.S.Manista, 2015