Alex Wells Shapiro
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I hate that the thump
of my heartbeat shakes
my building cause neighbors
knock on nights I do too much
blow. But it’s not like I could
take the place down! It’d
burst first. And I’m pretty
sure the moving walls keep
our rent down and spook
the roaches and robbers.
It’s never been still any-
way; it’s not just me.
Section off the spiders
in corners where webs
thicken enough to catch
& suffocate rats or see
in the shadows to integrate
them into your apartment
community. Nail a couple
2x4s at an L tall ways so
they can climb out &
keep building up & can’t
see you kick the young
dumb rats trying to scurry
thru closing doors from
your frames (tho they’ll
certainly hear the yelps).
Biographical Statement:
Alex Wells Shapiro (he/him) is a poet, artist, and organizer from the Hudson Valley, living in Chicago. He reads submissions for Frontier Poetry, serves as Business and Grants Manager for Another Chicago Magazine, and co-curates Exhibit B: A Reading Series presented by The Guild Literary Complex. He is the author of a full length collection of poems, Insect Architecture (Unbound Edition 2022), and a chapbook, Gridiron Fables (Bottlecap Features 2022). More of his work can be found at www.alexwellsshapiro.com.