Paper thin walls

On the other side of the wall there's a story
A story with kettles on the stove and tea in the pot
food in the cupboards and sun streaming in
The curtains gently blowing the sweet spring air
There's a kitten nibbling on her food in the corner
and the children stare empty-eyed at a TV screen
their mother calls for them and they come running
opens hands and open mouths
and take their fill, and wash, and bundle for the night
The stars rise and fall and moon takes its place over them
and the mother stays up and smokes a cigarette
the smoke gently streaming up and up, reaching
unfurling, following the textured lines on the ceiling
a glass in her hand and the TV on mute. She waits
On the other side of the wall there's a story.
I sit, like a child listening to a bedtime tale.
I sit and listen to the story
on the other side of the wall.