I. A book with a title that says it all

After the pear fell into the milk,

cacophony at the kitchen table

me swearing a hole in my mouth

as I lay down my book because like it

or not this day has begun.
II. Midday

After the crackling grass

the wind lifts the edges of our nest

and I am mid-sentence, a bookmark:

ants smacked from my inner thigh

next to me, my dog claiming the teasing fly.
III. A book gestures goodnight

After the thumping and burning like hell

the quiet strands of hair.

We give in to marriage,

sometimes a hum sounding like a sigh,

sometimes a book gesturing goodnight.