Her News Analysis

You paused for a moment and I heard you smoking

on the other end of the line.

I pictured your expression,

one eye screwed shut against the smoke

as you waited for my reaction.

I was waiting for it myself, a list of my own news

gone suddenly cold in my hand.

Supposing my wife found out, what would happen then?

Would I have to leave her and marry you now?

Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad,

starting again with someone new, finding a new place,

pretending the best was yet to come.

It might even be fun,

playing the family man, walking around in the park

full of righteous indignation.

But no, I couldn't go through all that again,

not without my own wife being there,

not without her getting cross about everything.



Perhaps she wouldn't mind about the baby,

then we could buy a house in the country

and all move in together.

That sounded like a better idea.

Now that I'd been caught at last, a wave of relief

swept over me. I was just considering

a shed in the garden with a radio and a day bed,

when I remembered I hadn't seen you for over a year.

"Congratulations," I said. "When's it due?"





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