The neighbors are at war.
It all started with a barking dog
(God spelled backwards)
Someone could not stand the howl, yip and yelp
so they put up a wind chime in an attempt
to feng shui it away but the tinkling annoyed
a third party who enlisted their teenage son
who proceeds to play his drums all Sunday
in a manic rat-a-tat-tat pattern
causing the guy next door
to go wild, fire up his chain saw
and flatten a stand of trees.
Then, silence, until the empty sound
of a leafless breeze reaches the chimes
setting off the dog.

.
 
This poem first appeared in Quest (2014)
Used here with author’s permission.