Occasional poetry.

A little something by me.

The Ten-Minute Warning


Lilac put the final touches on her
black eyeliner,
and pulled on her
black fishnet stockings.
She adjusted her
black corset and her
black tulle skirt and retied her
black Doc Marten's.
She walked out the door when her
black cell phone beeped twice.
She checked the text message.
She twirled on the sidewalk, smirked, and said,
"Everyone will be so jealous."

Rosemary Kerk was feeding her baby,
rejoicing in the splatters when her
cell phone beeped twice.
She checked the text message.
She stared at it,
openmouthed.
"No! I won't!"
and she threw the phone against the wall.
She picked the spoon back up and continued to feed her child.
She forgot some things are not negotiable.

Josephine was sitting at her desk when her
cell phone beeped twice.
She checked the text message.
She didn't even save her work; she just walked out of her cubicle.
She shed her scarf
in the aisle,
her shoes
by the windows.
She left a trail of clothes
on her way to the elevator until
she stood naked in the rain, her mouth open to drink.

Trish O'Darby was looking at a pair of
absolutely delicious
Jimmy Choo's through the sparkling store window when her
cell phone beeped twice.
She checked the text message.
In less than 2 minutes, she was wearing those shoes.
She minced into the next storefront that read,
"Wills! Five Minutes or Less, Guaranteed!"
She walked out with three minutes to go,
and began dialing.
"Hello, Helen? Trish. I'm sorry."
"Hello, Mom? Trish. I'm sorry."
"Hello, Lana? I'm sorry."
She was apologizing to her father when everything went dark.

Nix Ricard looked both ways before he stepped off the curb.
He was mentally reviewing the presentation he was giving this afternoon when his
cell phone beeped twice.
He checked his text message.
He stepped back onto the curb and dialed.
His wife's crisp voice crackled in his ear when she said, "Hello?"
And Nix told his wife the words she’d never heard enough.
"I love you.
I have loved you since the day you stepped on my foot in fifth grade.
You have been the greatest joy of my life," he said.
She laughed. "Nix, did you have a liquid lunch?”
He took a deep breath.
"I couldn't tell you this before, but darling, you have to believe me,
I thought it every single day.
You are the jewel in the crown of night.
Kiss the children for me.
Kiss them for me every day and every night.
Tell them their Daddy loved them.
Do you understand, my sweet? It's time.”
She understood. Nix could hear her sobs.
"I have to go now.”
He hung up on her tears,
then looked to the sky, and closed his eyes.