Catharsis Goes Viral

A moment ago a female employee
stepped out from the Jimmy John's
two doors down from the Starbucks --
stepped outside the front door
and screamed,
screamed through her pale blue
surgical mask.
Then she went back inside.

And I have heard more
random screams lately,
and shouting ...
neighbors with their stereos
cranked up beyond reason
and civility ...
people in cars
singing raucously as a battle cry,
honking their horns,
loudly and long,
for no apparent purpose.

Over the weekend ...
a strange sound,
like pebbles hitting glass, but close --
almost inside my skull,
provoked me to tiptoe
out the front door and look --

a man walking down the sidewalk,
toward the park,
cracking a bullwhip
as he went along,
and all the dogs
in the neighborhood
howled.