Narrative Poetry

Lonely Joe

Living the reclusive life

Photo and edit by Mark Tulin

Lonely Joe stares from the window,
careful not to be seen,
with two old beagles,
Sam and Max by his side.

He lives a reclusive life,
cloistered in his small one-bedroom,
fully aware of his secret obsession —
keeps his door locked,
along with life’s disappointments.

He has always been a loner,
watching others
instead of engaging,
dreaming instead of doing,
living an illusory life
inside an apartment
with a letter dangling from its door.

He gives a nickname to each tenant.
He holds them in his imagination,
where they are protected
in the darkness of his soul,
the yearning of his heart.

The woman above,
he calls Flirting Flora,
who wears short skirts
and has a new boyfriend
every other month.