Annie

Peter Christensen
From:   Winter Range. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan: Thistledown Press, 2001.

while riding the chair lift with Annie
she asked me
what are you gonna do
I said
live off my wife
she is supporting me at a lifestyle
to which I would like to become accustomed
Annie became silent

to ski you must
become one with the fall line
this is the zen
but Annie could not forget the pain
she brought with her to the mountain
and she carved my comment
close to her heart

at the end of the day
I brought the car around
she threw her skis into the trunk
threw her poles at the back of my seat
got in to the back of the car
and slammed the door

I asked
if she had a problem
she huffed like an angry bear
and said
it's called teamwork
I don't know what you would do without Yvonne

this caused me to think
she believed I was useless and dependent
and I admit my anger got the better of me
Annie I suspect you are commenting
on something that is none of your goddamn business

well that kind of broke the ice
later we said we were sorry

but you see how just one little story
can turn the heart
harden the arteries
tighten the lips
just one phrase
can twist the knife

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Peter Christensen's works copyright © to the author.