can’t use the element of surprise by Bogdan Dragos

the best part about her
is
that she
can never use the
element of surprise

No, she's always writing
with thick carpenter
crayons on the walls
and details all her
plans

A STRAND OF HIS HAIR,
she writes this
evening.
AS HE FALLS ASLEEP, I'M GOING
TO CLIP
A STRAND OF HIS HAIR AND
HIDE IT BEHIND MY
EYEBALLS. I'LL PUSH IT DEEP

He reads the words
as he puts on
pajamas
and goes to bed

and pretends to be asleep
when his wife
comes to cut
his hair with
the scissors

He smiles to himself
thinking,
or rather knowing for sure,
that he'd found
true love in life

Mental illness
is not something to get
in the way

on the contrary... 
there is a middle way, apparently


It's late

23:58

not many buildings
around
and even less
people

a few trees
and bushes
and a mostly empty
parking lot

I walk towards my car
when
she comes out from
behind the yellow
dumpster

approaching me

holding a
clinking piggy-bank
in her pale outstretched
hands
 
“No thanks,” I said
and resumed my walking,
checking my pockets
for the car key

“But,” she said, “if you
don't take it
I won't be able to
haunt you
tonight.”

I stopped

Turned around

Walked back a few steps
to face her again

I pulled out a coin
and tossed it into
the small opening of
the piggy-bank

There is a middle way,
apparently

If you have an infinite
amount of coin tosses
you have a possibility of
landing it on
neither heads
nor tails

Eventually, it'll land on
its edge
and stay so

I think it did on
that night

I'm pretty sure it did

What I'm unsure of
is who's haunting
who now