Goodnight

by Eileen Murphy

I said to my husband, I’m not that tired

& I have cycles & sometimes

my writing is blocked

& I have to take advantage

when I have the fire

& you can suggest I go to bed

but don’t get mad

& then I pointed out that

the Orpheus tale never

mentions Eurydice’s feelings

& maybe she paused on

the doorstep following him out of

the Hades cavern

on purpose because she knew

she would always be following him

& he would always

be making noise,

“sweet noise” being

still noise

& then I lost it

& said, okay, a Caravaggio-style

angel

appeared in the bedroom

one night about a month ago

& told me god wanted

me to write

& that shut him up.

* * * * *

“Goodnight” was first published in White Pelican Review (Fall 2003)

A former Chicagolander, Eileen Murphy now lives 30 miles from Tampa. She received her Masters degree from Columbia College, Chicago. She teaches literature and English at Polk State College in Lakeland and has recently published poetry in Thirteen Myna Birds, Tinderbox (nominated for Pushcart Prize), Yes Poetry, The American Journal of Poetry, Rogue Agent, Deaf Poets Society, and other journals.