Teller

Teller

‘You will lead a very lonely life’ she said
closing my fingers into a fist.
I thought of the fish fingers in the freezer
all gold and glittering.

‘No really don’t worry,
at some point in your life
you are a wife
and carry babies like whitebait in a napkin.

Your friends will never see you weeping
or ask if your husband is spineless.
Your lines say
you play it straight as a road map.’

She didn’t mention the by routes
the overpass divorce and artery children
screaming out car windows
‘this fridge is unreasonably demanding of love.’

She said, come see me when you stop eating rectangular food
and everything is shapeless.