Darlene

Infidelity

The wind loaded up on the foothills this morning.

It blew grit in my eyes when it reached the barnyard.

I peeled my hat off a fence and started rounding up

Animals. That job used to belong to Switch, Lester’s

Faithful cur. But Switch wasn’t long for the world after

We buried Lester. He scratched the door one night,

Waiting to journey past the fence lines and make his

stand against the coyotes.

 

I look to the farmhouse and see Darlene in the sink

Window. She’s got a fine head of red hair and smudges

On her slip. She’s six months my brother’s widow.

She studies my eyes, glances away, and blows a strand

Of hair away from her face: freckles, blue eyes, and white

Skin. Her eyes land back on mine, and she lets a slip strap

Slide of her shoulder,

 

The detectives wanted to know exactly where Lester was

Sitting when he tumbled a*s-over-bandboxes and disappeared

Under the cultipacker. I told them he’d been on the tractor’s

Fender when my foot slipped off the clutch. The detectives

Don’t like my story. Something doesn’t ring true, but Darlene

Doesn’t care. She’s getting what she’s always wanted.