Nobody Lives Here Anymore

scarecrow in the yard, eviction notice on the door. the walls stripped bare smell of ham and beans, the sounds of laughter and crying trapped in the cobwebbed corners. across the street a homosexual man peeks through the curtains, his breath of amaretto and nuts... watching the old man and woman pack the remnants of a life into a car, nowhere to go. setting down his cup he walks out the door, across the street.... starts carrying boxes without a word. till all is loaded that can be loaded, and the rest left in a pile down at the street, to be carried off.... then hugs, a tear, a few kind words.... almost family, just neighbors, friends... the old couple drives away without looking back... the neighbor staring at the empty boxes on the porch... nobody lives here anymore!