Lori looks at the white undershirt
draped over a kitchen chair.
She knows that style of shirt
was often referred to as a wife-beater—
is now marketed as an A-shirt
or athletic shirt.
It wears a blood stain (two droplets)
where the cloth would cross
the the top of the left pectoral muscle
if worn properly.
Lori decides to put the shirt on
so takes her pajama top off
and reaches for
her Calvin Klein waif persona
even though there is nothing waif-like
about her body.
She bites her bottom lip
as she critiques the fit of her reflection
in the kitchen window
as a flock of sparrows pass through her.
copyright © 2022 Kenneth P. Gurney
post script
Happy Independence Day to my fellow Americans. Family will join us for burgers on the grill, coleslaw and watermelon. And (as happens every year) our neighbors will blast fireworks into the sky all night long, punctuating our sleep with spangled stars and loud noises.
Happy Monday to those of you who are not residents of the USA.
Umflop 