Centerfold Material
A living room. Brown couch,
microsuede. Flat-screen TV
with a five o’clock shadow,
a film of dust. Two coffee mugs
on a coffee table, one baby blue,
one black, with the tea bag tag
dangling its leg over the lip
of the cup, twitching slightly
in the breeze. Often, furniture
is named for what it holds
or does, with no embellishment:
entertainment center, coat rack,
coffee table, recliner. fireplace
poker. We just want something
that works. A large picture
window, sprawling grass and
broadleaf maple obeying
the rule of thirds. Not looking
out, a woman, stretched out
on her side across the white carpet,
propped up on an orange pillow.
She’s smiling (think devoured
canary), but not at you, not
because of you. She’s smiling
down at her hands in her lap,
at the phone in her left palm.
With her index finger, she
strokes the screen slowly, softly.
Oh, I love how this comes down to a quiet place, a small gesture.
ReplyDeletered wine and lace at mount royal tavern - yes! and my living room in another dimension - how eerily connected they are!
ReplyDeleteThis one seems sad. Now I'm going to be on the lookout for a "broadleaf maple obeying the rule of thirds."
ReplyDelete