TRAGIC Poem: Wednesday, by L Held

In late afternoon
A shadow falls
Fred parks his yellow VW bus at the shed
Mops his brow
Calls inside
What’s for dinner?

Whistles to his Lab Elmer
And gives him a treat to chew.
Wipes his work boots at the stoop.
Pushes the massive brass handle
Which slips out of the one ragged screw holding it in.

The kitchen is warm and inviting
With hand me down linens and chipped China
A cracked mug from that Red Sox game.

Janice stands by the stove
Singing a random tune
Dum de de dum dum de de Dee

How my best girl he asks
Feeling better she answers
Those darn pills. They sap my energy.

Too much to expect them to work instantly, my dear.

He extracts a Heineken from the fridge
And disappears into the dark hall.