Ends Are Hard

They sold their house to some strangers,

Like most people do when they sell,

But they’d already been fighting

With each other and arrested

A couple of times, one battle

Ending with her wandering town

At dawn, drunk and in her nightgown,

Another ending in the death

Of his pet parrot that she tore

From its cage and flung at the door.

So neighbors were relieved, at first,

But not surprised later to hear

That the new owners had gotten

Threatening and pleading phone calls

Calling them cheats and demanding

The house back. They told the police.

The police said they were watching things.

The police always say stuff like that.

There’s no way this will end well,

One of the anxious neighbors said.

We shouldn’t be telling you this.

The story hasn’t ended yet.