Slight Pause
       

We looked at each other, then at the plate of tomatoes,
and you said, do we eat them?

Our neighbor was dead. Fallen over in, her front hall.
She had brought us green. tomatoes.
Now they had ripened, they were heirlooms, they were heads
cut off and served to us
on a plate while we were going about our morning.

On the night of the earthquake, we ran to the Weather Channel
and then you said: are earthquakes weather?

Slight pause in which the world comes down.

We ate lavishly with salt and bread
our neighbor's still-warm tomatoes.

e night of the hanging, you said when does he hang?
as if you had asked, when is supper? We laughed
then checked online. The despot was hung in haste
for too few of his crimes
an hour ago while we were drinking wine.

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Copyright © 2014 Joy Katz All rights reserved
from All You Do Is Perceive
Four Way Books
Reprinted by Verse Daily® with permission