The etymology of

“Barking up the wrong tree,”

came home to him one

day around three.

Distraught, he called some-

one who had been through

the same thing as he

and said, “You won’t believe

what happened to me.”

She responded, “What do

you want of me?”

Taken aback, as he just

wished a bit of sympathy,

he repeated maybe

times three

and still the ever distancing

voice spoke bewilderingly,

“What do you expect of me?”

“It’s okay,” he said, finally

cutting through the ambiguity.