There’s no such thing as peace anymore. Nothing is tranquil. I yell out for solace. But all I have are more grievances. Noise. I want to escape noise. Guns fired. Sirens screaming down below. Cars with no mufflers. A city bus applying brakes. Children crying. Drunks in the alley. Garbage trucks stopping every five minutes down my street, dumping trash; beer bottles, metal popcorn containers,  wooden tables crushed, bed frames busted, old toys kids have outgrown; how sad is that.

The worst is the screaming of lovers down the hall. Either yelling in ecstasy or voices raised to the level of murder. One moment fucking and the next pulling weapons. Threatening each other. Hitting one another. Bodies bouncing off walls.

And here I sit, wanting peace. Thinking to myself, you never had it so good.