Yearning for Quince
A dirty hog in the house is better than no hog
at all, my wife told me, ironing creases
into my boxer shorts, pressing them flat.
Since my house is burning, I thought to myself,
I may as well warm myself at it, watching Helen in the office,
my mind going further than the soft skin of her neck.
If you have a monkey under your blanket, Helen whispered,
one day it will move and make a bulge and later
we slept the rest of the night like spoons.
Do not dress in clothes made of leaves, I read somewhere,
when going to put out a fire, and I went home
two days later without any alibi or wanting one.
If you sleep with a dog, my wife shouted, you wake up
full of fleas, and the conversation continued between us
slamming doors until she finally changed the locks.
I have plenty of apples and pears, my father once told me,
but my heart yearns for quince, and that I can understand
as I close in on Helen’s mother unattended in Reception.
Page(s) 41
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