by Mike Chrisman

They’re repairing her mitral valve
tomorrow.
She wants time alone
now, the last day before
they stop her heart and the robots
take over … so I wander the aisles
in Publix.
Around me shoppers
consult lists on their phones,
pick items off the shelves,
chatting occasionally: crackers,
pickles, divorce, covid …
and items they haven’t found:
apricots, lychees, justice …

I didn’t bring a list, but
right at the top would be:
When you’re in there sewing,
tiny tiny tailor, please
stitch me in there too.

Mike Chrisman is retired and lives primarily in Antigua, Guatemala. A former publisher, editor, and writer for two small newspapers, Mike earned an MFA in Creative Writing from UMass Amherst and worked for years in the mental health field in rural Western Massachusetts. His books include Little Stories: New Poems (lacuadramagazine.com) and The Bible: Warts and All (Amazon Kindle). An audio recording of Walking the Windy High Wire may be heard on YouTube. Mike has three daughters and five grandchildren, and has work published or forthcoming in Third Wednesday Magazine, Loud Coffee Press, Witcraft, Sparks of Calliope, and Wildscape Literary Review.