287

they’re married
mississippi bayou love
swat at gnats
live and life on the river
she said she saw a cottonmouth
outside her door
he said let’s move inland

get a house with a porch
screen door to keep everything at bay
that’s what we should do, he said

she said she saw a black widow
in her garden
climbing on the edge of the porch
he said let’s move to the city
get an apartment and sell the truck
have a park and if we had a child
we’d take him there if it didn’t rain

she said rodents keep scurrying
across the floor of the nursery
the paint still wet
you can hear them early in the morning
he said let’s move up north, to the coast,
on an island - just us
we can buy a cat, keep
the vermin at bay

she said i wish you’d say something
to make me want to stay