The Neighbors As Time Persists

And the pity’s infected their whispers. And the advice arrives in the mail. No return addresses; No self-revelations. There are so many smiles, I could wallpaper the sky. I could trade introspection for consolation. The carolers stopped singing outside my door in favor of mingling with a couple who’ve inferred my reality. I’ve passed by and only nodded to their whispers drowned out by keys in the locks.