Point Proven

His pen shook a little

on the bottom line.

I watched the liver spots

on the back of his hand

and felt the victory

sour like milk in the heat.

Three months of emails

and photos of the mold.

I wanted him to pay

for the damp in my socks,

but seeing his sweater

pilled at the elbows

made the check feel heavy.

The floorboard is still warped.

It humps up like a spine

right in front of the sink.

A permanent ridge

I’ll have to step over

until the day I leave.