DAY 16, POEM 16: YOU NEED TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT YOU'VE DONE

The bell rings at 2 a.m.
I'm up watching Korean revenge flicks
In nothing but my robe
I open the apartment door
After some unsuccessful peephole peeping
And see the mother from the family next door
The family with three small children
And a stay at home husband/dad
She's swaying in the vestibule
Pressing buttons at random
And clearly blind drunk
When I buzz her in
She trips through the door
But doesn't keel over like I expect
Instead pinballs against the wall
And the bannister and the wall
And the bannister
Until she reaches her door
Two feet from where I'm standing
"Are you alright?" I ask
"Pretty much" is her response
I ask her if she needs anything
"No, no thank you" she replies
And begins tapping on her own door
For minutes on end but
With such timidity and shame
That I am not surprised
When I hear her leave the building
A long while later
And I wonder if this is a major fight
And now she's locked out on purpose
Or if the husband/dad is a heavy sleeper
Or if there's just nobody home
When I see her on the street
Days later as I walk the dog
She thanks me for letting her in
But I never stop wondering
Where she spent that night
Or how bad her head must've hurt
The day after