the apartment above the pizzeria is always dark
its windows are uncovered eyes watching passersby
university students stumble to the cafe or to the bar
they say if you stare long enough,
the shadows inside will shift, unsettled by your gaze,
but the windows will always meet you.
warm streetlight filters in through the billowing snow
the landlord says he always gets the rent on time
and when he closes late at night,
sobbing comes down through the walls.
on the street, drunk students wander to the next party
their laughter echoes and drowns the shadows out
leaving a figure standing alone in the window.
-Zero
