She ambushes me on the couch,
laughing, spinning,
a feral brunette blur
I’ve managed to catch.
The stalking wasn’t easy,
nor was the move
to captivity.
Domestication will be brutal.
She throws things.
Shoes.
Tennis rackets.
Spaghetti.
Wine.
But I know she loves me
and wants to stay.
Her diet is vegan,
so I’m learning to adapt.
Fresh produce.
Wild rice.
Mashed potatoes without pork chops.
It’s a big buildup
that never quite delivers.
I sneak out for cheeseburgers.
Tender meat
between my lips,
like her immaculate thigh
pressing into my embrace.
She roams,
but never far.
I pet her in the dark,
whispering promises,
and somehow together
we will make it through.
Keith Wood has successfully escaped from Philadelphia, Austin, and is now back home where he belongs in Mississippi. You can get him at: kwoodphilly@msn.com. He sends most of his stories and poems to Underground Voices and Cherry Bleeds, and hopes that his mom isn’t reading any of them.