The Bad Witness

by Joanna Fuhrman

Joanna Fuhrman

Yes, we can hear the war.

Yes, we know it’s happening
in the apartment next door.

These days shame is a noose
worn ironically and then
forgotten about.

If the good witness were here,
she would teach us how to listen,

how to hold the pain of the present
in our jaw:

a stupid guard dog
savoring a gift.





Last updated November 24, 2022