You Talking To Me?

Say a mail carrier
delivers a thick envelope to you
from an unknown sender
and you open it to find pages
of closely spaced handwriting
in another language.
Do you keep it or discard it?

You don’t know enough
and you ask the wrong questions.

Say a sheep you glimpse
from your car window
runs toward the fence,
bleating at you.
Do you stop or keep going?

You don’t see the signs
and you don’t get the messages.

Say a woman walks by you
and hisses you filthy beast
without turning her head
or slowing her progress.
Do you take it to heart or ignore it?

You don’t place it in context
and you don’t think you need to.

Say anything at all
happens to you.
An involuntary trip to Senegal,
the corner store
being robbed as you leave,
a curse hurled your way
from an unfamiliar car. 
Do you imagine yourself changed
or forget that change is inevitable?

You don’t like any of this
and make no bones about it.

Say there’s a name for you
and you won’t answer to it
no matter how often you’re called.
Do you recognize it as yours,
or do you simply not care to respond?