Bankrupt
Bankrupt
by Laura Summerville Reed
Is that a lipstick stain?
Spilled wine?
A smudge from a cloven heart
Kept tightly rolled within a sleeve?
Perhaps it’s just the tomato sandwich
We shared
As we talked of Italy
And God
And sex
And summer gardens
The blue ink of an open ended contract
So sweetly written
Upon tender flesh
Has turned red
Payment has come due
I’ll cover the debt on both accounts
Apply a bit more lipstick
Such a pretty girl when she smiles
Then have another glass of wine
Red is so good for our health
Roll up those sleeves tight now
And tuck away all the sweetness of summer
Along with the deed
To an insolvent heart
LSR 2010