A Horse Named Jenny

Oh wow
Look at that
you said

and I turned around
and there was an old lady
counting her change at
the counter
basset puppies
and paw prints
stitched all over
the back of her jacket

Birthday present idea
I said

you laughed

I’m not kidding
I said

I’ll wear the fuck out of that

we sat
for a couple minutes
eating our sugar cookie
covered in confetti sprinkles
and a graphic amount of frosting

28 cents, 29 cents, 30…
the old lady went

I don’t ever want you to die
you said

Sweetie, you’re stuck with me

you stuck your finger
into the cookie crumbs
and held it

Good you said

The old lady walked
out the door

bread in hand
her daughter waiting
in a station wagon

their front plate
was a personalized portrait
of a horse named Jenny

you told me you didn’t wanna end up
like that lady

memories of me
and a basset hound jacket

the car started

she took a Viking pull
off her fresh loaf
and left a giant piece of bread
hanging out of her mouth

she held it there
and looked straight at us

we laughed

the car drove off

Okay
maybe I wanna be a little like her
you said

I thought as much
I said

I finished my weak coffee

You bused your clean plate

and we left the bakery

and walked to the lake

as if the whole thing
had never happened

© 2016 Lee Kitzis

The Unpronounceable God

We look out
over the calm expanse
of Lake Superior
by the old light house
bleeding red

imagining
what the Native Americans
must have imagined
about
some crazy water god
with 10 syllables in his name
breaking the tide
with 300-year-old breath

our daughter
in your belly
using your bladder
as a beanbag

and the silence is fine

and you are beautiful

with your one gray hair
we both know you have
but don’t mention
and you hate
and I love

and we wait
for that unpronounceable god
to break the tide

and when he does
you turn to me
look into my eyes
smile and say

“I bet bear farts smell awful.”

“Absolutely,” I say

and we hold hands and
walk home

past the old houses

and the big breed dogs

© 2016 Lee Kitzis