last night

i stood on my balcony, and looked across the frozen darkness in the apartment complex.

a police car stopped right in front of our building. a cop got out, turned on his flashlight, and opened the backseat door. he reached down to the floor of the car, and seemed to be rummaging around.

then, a person appeared from the floor of the car, in handcuffs.

the cop chided the man, and told him to sit this way so he won't hurt himself.

the man looked like he was crying. i can see where he comes from, now.

late at night, one bleak January, the police came for him in the night, knocking on his door while his family was asleep. they cuffed him, read him his rights, and put him in a car. he crumpled to the floor of the car. he didn't want people to see him in his neighborhood, in a cop car. he didn't want anyone to see.

the cop car hit a speed bump or two. the man bounced. it hurt. the cops came to a stop. the cop was a little embarassed that this man was crying so hard, and hiding so hard. nothing manly about that. the cop told the guy to sit with his head between his legs so he could hide his face, and he wouldn't get hurt.

but i could see him, now.

i looked away from the car. poor guy didn't want me to look at him.