5:00pm Flight

by Tobi Alfier

He takes off his ring sometimes

to hurt.

Leaves it tarnished &

accusing

near the coffeepot,

where she will see

among the detritus of

his uncaring cohabitation,

papers,

negatives,

toothpicks,

socks,

sunflower seeds,

old, gold icon

the umbilicus.

She wears black as a color

and pink leotards.

Smoothes SPF 30 on her

curious face,

turns up the radio,

pours some juice,

avoids the counter,

orders bowling shoes through

a catalog

and wonders what she has to offer.

She tries on eyeshadow

and high heels.

Wonders how it would feel to be free,

unencumbered and

emancipated.

She takes a drink,

tends her garden,

contemplates the 5:00pm flight to Paris,

carries on in spite of

his spite

and creates herself

a lovely day.

* * * * *

"5:00pm Flight" was first published in Poetic Diversity (2005) and is part of Tobi Alfier's poetry collection Sanity Among the Wildflowers (republished by Cholla Needles Press, 2019).

Tobi Alfier is a multiple Pushcart nominee and multiple Best of the Net nominee. Slices of Alice & Other Character Studies was published by Cholla Needles Press. Symmetry: earth and sky is forthcoming in May from Main Street Rag. She is co-editor of San Pedro River Review (www.bluehorsepress.com).