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Friday, September 25, 2020

New Poems- Jack Henry an affair in south florida

 


an affair in south florida - temptation 

 

she wipes her mouth with a silk handkerchief 

her mother gave her when she graduated summa cum laude 

from Florida State University, in 1972. 

 

her eyes dig into mine as tries to breathe in my soul,  

just as she tried with her bright red lips and garish pink tongue. 

 

you cannot steal that which is not owned. 

 

phone rings, another client, better deal. 

i ask her about Saturday, she glares as she buttons her blouse 

and walks from the room. 

 

 

an affair in south florida – his turn 

 

i watch 

as he 

exits 

a motel 

on the edge 

of a swamp, 

50 miles 

north of his  

marital bed, 

and a wife 

that spends 

most afternoons 

snorting 

cocaine 

and seducing 

young men 

from a nearby 

college. 

 

he does not 

see me, 

he is preoccupied 

with his 

thoughts, 

his infidelity. 

 

another man 

appears a 

minute later 

and walks 

in a different 

direction, 

gets in 

a Cooper Mini, 

and drives away. 

 

big fat 

raindrops 

begin to 

fall as a  

tropical storm 

sweeps 

into the 

area. 

 

it’s Tuesday 

around 9am. 

the postman will be here

soon.

 

 

 

an affair in south florida - confrontation 

 

he walks in the front door, 

a metal bell rings his announcement. 

i look up from the sports page 

and smile in contempt. 

 

i know him from a picture his wife 

carries in her Dolce and Gabbana pocketbook, 

the one with crisp $100 dollar bills utilized as my payment 

five bills at a time. 

 

he has a series of lovers, she does as well. 

neither party knows about the others infidelities. 

at least, 

not yet. 

 

he thinks i am the bad guy. 

for once in his life he picked the right man. 

 

a black cat pauses at the threshold, just so i see him. 

there’s another storm waiting to slide into town. 

 

 

 

 

 

an affair in south florida – almost an ending 

 

i light a cigarette 

and sit on the edge of a rented bed 

covered in a threadbare, stained comforter, 

wearing black socks 

and red satin boxers. 

 

she asks me a question, 

i do not hear her. 

she asks me again, 

i do not respond. 

 

the wind raps against double-paned glass  

old growth oak trees bend and moan 

as the far horizon blackens and lightning 

cracks a mile away. 

 

i think he knows, 

she says. 

as she stands naked 

before me, offering me a beer. 

 

the cops will soon find him, 

i think, and she’ll be the prime suspect. 

i’ll watch from the courtroom 

and have nothing to say. 

 

 

 

 

 

an affair in so florida – sad face emoji 

 

the evidence is sketchy. 

the prosecutor is inept. 

the defense attorney is prepared. 

the defendant just plays her part, 

with precision and grace. 

 

she walks out free and clear after a mistrial declared. 

 

i open an umbrella and walk her to her car. 

she kisses me like a sister. 

 

the executor awarded her nothing but lint 

her husband’s lover, Eduardo, left with a deed to it all. 

i sat in my car, across the street, under 

an old elm, watching the participants exit 

in single file. 

i had already received my check, services rendered, 

 

weeks later a client walks through my front door. 

she is beautiful, and crying. 

i think he’s cheating. 

i stare as if caring, and say, 

please, tell me more. 

 

 

bio: jck hnry is a california/arizona desert-based writer/editor. recent publications include: madness muse, rat's ass review, litterateur, newington press, rogue wolf, fleas on the dog, dissident voice, and others.  sometime in 2021 a new book, "driving w/crazy," will be released by Punk Hostage Press. for more please see jackhenry.wordpress.com.

 

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