NEEDLING

The man
husband of the woman
wife of the man
who killed her
his wife
the woman
wife of the man.

He strangled her
with a simple kitchen wire
you know the kind
simple chicken
tie’em up after you've stuffed’em
wire.

He strangled her
his wife
strangled by her man
her husband.

The police came
she was dead
circle around her neck
where her skin fought
the wire
simple chicken wire
you know the kind
to strangle your wife with
in the kitchen.

Domestic violence
they call it
the police in their report
late as usual
or the night before
when a nosy neighbor called
“potential domestic violence”
they’d whispered
to the late ever so late police
in the telephone
from behind the curtains
watching the man
and the woman
beat each other up
screaming things like murder.

The police came
too early and then too late
and were asked kindly
to mind their own business and leave
the man
husband of the woman
said to them
and she
“It’s okay... no... really... go away...
yes, Mr. Policeman”
said the woman
wife of the man.

The police came back
the next day
with camera crews
and bright television lights
fifteen minutes of fame
red circle circling around your neck
the woman
wife of the man
the husband
her man
gone
and her
nothing to add
Mr. Policeman
red circle circling her neck
the police
circling the body
with chalk.