poem of the day 08.28.09

overheard

“i have them all over
the place,” he said, “kids,
grandkids, cousins, aunt and uncles,
and wives.”

“you had a wife,” she said.

“once a wife,
always a wife,”
he answered.

and then
they were quiet
he drank his beer
she drank her beer
and something bad
by the moody blues
played
on the jukebox.

“you could’ve
called her you ex-wife,”
she said. “at least for my
benefit, you could’ve.”