999 O

she sits naked on the bed
with that little bit of stomach
curling just above her legs
the blinds are all open
she shields her eyes to look
at her hands
checking her phone to see
if there is any news
worth discussing over lunch

I fix coffee
just like her
still putting off
putting on clothes
my feet make little smacking
sounds on the tile in the kitchen

I come back into the bedroom
my stomach still extended
from a night of drinking dark beer
and glasses of scotch
she says
you look like a lumbering ape
I grimace
smile now while writing this

I smoke a cigarette
she watches silently
from the bed
turns her back on me
it looks like she’s sleeping