angel eyes

they went to see a movie called by the song’s name
that bobby had designated paula’s

they no longer lived together, understand

they were not divorced, she confessed

he did love her and as men like him will
he wanted to be forgiven,
what is there to forgive, she asked, we can’t live together

why not, he said,
and she: we have no married life, you don’t stay home, you don’t sleep
with me

he argued, yes he did, she said sure, but you wake me to do
what lovers do but not at three o’clock in the morning,
in the beginning they would make love after lunch

I’ll stay home, he said,
it was more a plea,
she said nothing in reply

the movie starred the woman who played selena in the true
story of the young woman murdered by her secretary
once she had the gun

jennifer lopez, paula said
I only remembered jennifer, he replied
they went to bed, they slept.

he woke, he looked at her, she the most beautiful,
her eyes almonds when open, and even now, closed,
with her cheek bones he called her osage eyes

nobody courts very long, 
nobody has any truck with tradition
nobody now

why can’t we go on like this, she would say,
we work together,
we can be lovers

(6 March 2013)

copyright 2013 by Floyce Alexander