August 30, 2005
Bill’s birthday
We’ll go to the Oyster Depot tonight
and I’ll give him his gifts
a belt, a book, bird motif boxer shorts, and a plate and bowl painted with sailboats
I woke several times in the night
murmuring a groggy happy birthday
into the back of his neck
Afraid we’d forget in the dark
It was warm under the blankets
and the homemade quilt that was a wedding gift
Sometimes
in the evening
I run my fingers along its fabric strips
the soft pink velveteen
the stiff moss-colored velvet
the rough gray wool
while eating one small ball of pistachio ice cream in
one small blue teacup
with a silver teaspoon burnished and pointy
The sweet setting off sparks of consolation in my brain
Already
there are repeating patterns in
our new morning routine
While I’m toweling myself dry
Bill goes to get the paper
Standing on the blue bathmat
I hear the front door open and close
What we have for breakfast though
varies with the day
This morning it was birthday oatmeal
in the yellow pot
He put walnuts and dried cranberries and spices in there
cooked the berries in the oatmeal
until they were dark, warm, soft, sweet
image source is here
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