For Faith, '73

from the before poems:

(no one cares if the phone rings when they're in the shower now)

For Faith, '73

Yes.

We'll get a house on the ocean.

We'll be so good at our jobs our bosses will say:

"What gems!"

and send us on vacation.

when we're away we'll send each other postcards.

When we get home we'll sit up until 5 a.m. and interrupt each other.

Whenever we want to see some people, there they'll be at the door.

We'll say: 

"Come on in, it's unlocked!"

And the phone will never ring when we're in the shower.

We'll fight.

You'll say: 

"You drink too much, you're fat."

I'll say:

"You clean too much, you're skinny."

You'll get a beer and I'll get a broom

and we'll imitate each other until we laugh.

And the phone will never ring when we're in the shower.

Lovers will come and go.

They will say:

"Too much." and smile.

Or they'll be mean.  They'll say:

"You're ignorant." 

We'll say:  "Ignorance is bliss!"

They'll say:  "Cows."

We'll say:  "Get out of our pasture."

And we'll sit quiet and sad until Adam come home

   with his prize-winning short story and we kiss him and celebrate.

Sometimes a man will stay with one of us.

The other one will fix breakfast and never walk in at the wrong time.

Sometimes men will stay with each of us.

Then we'll make them fix breakfast while we talk.

And the phone will never ring when we're in the shower.

When one of us is depressed the other will say:

"Ain't it a bitch?" and make green and orange salad.

When both of us are depressed we'll sigh and sigh

   until Peter sighs, too, which will make us smile.

We'll have lots of stationery and write long letters

   which friends will save in jewelry boxes and desk drawers.

The cats will have just enough kittens in the basement.

We'll all be full and free.

And the phone will never ring when we're in the shower.

Yes.