My Neighbor's Home by Jessica Verm

The rhythmic beat of bongo drums 

Is discerned from my open door 

And it causes

My heart to pause 

In uncertainty 

Once more. 

I ponder how I possess such luxuries

As a home and a bed

While my neighbor 

Sleeps behind the laundry mat instead. 

What does it mean

To have shared humanity

And yet hold such disparity?

Tho averting my gaze

Is a much simpler affair,

What does it mean to truly love and care?

To push apart

The walls of our guarded hearts

To embrace our humanity,

Shared and woven 

Strands, intricate and true,

With authenticity imbued.

Jessie Verm navigates this lovely, wild, and uncertain world by seeking out moments of beauty, truth, and goodness. She lives in Houston with her fabulous husband and dog. Since the birth of their daughter, Jessie’s time for writing has fallen into smaller windows during naps, feedings, and after bedtime. This empowered her to approach writing in new, creative ways. Throughout this transition, she began to think in prose and to immerse herself in writing poetry.