taxing him with at best the sin of omission,

at worst with Getting It All Wrong,

“What about Piglet? And Nelson Mandela?”

So they have to drink coffee

and compare the relative merits of Zeus

and Widow Twankey. And then,

since it is Valentine’s Night,

they go to bed and make spectacular love,

longings, want time to stand

and stare….’

Then, it being Halloween,

She decorates the Poet’s crutch

With green glitter.

She suggests to the poet that

They bathe together.

‘Perhaps’, she thinks,

‘this will get him to

fix the shower.’

Dividing the paper vertically,

To enjoy companionship, meals,

Wine, films, concerts, theatre,

Day trips to the continent and

Multiple orgasms, but

Having two houses, children, a grand-

Child, a busy social life and being

Much in demand professionally

Is quite another.

She loves her life: who wouldn’t?

But maybe….

Oh dear: if only things

Would stay in their columns.

Mrs. Fixit

Says ruefully

That even she

Cannot have her cake

And eat it.

Mrs. Fixit

Says she’s scared,

Not quite prepared

To have this conversation,

And ducks it.

But the Poet

Jumps right in,

Saves her skin

And says too much, wouldn’t

You know it?

She’ll decorate a room or fill a garden

She’ll write a clever business plan

To help a business start,

But fears that she

Cannot control

Her heart