Wanted to stop the fight, washed dishes very quietly.
Had crackers and cheese with strangers, who–
Read for an hour. Well, not a full hour, was distracted by the window.
Had Marie over to discuss things. Coffee was weak, which ruined–
Made a plate of olives, wedges of a very nice cheese–
Said to my therapist—
Wanted to keep the fight going, washed dishes in aggressive manner.
Some days can’t wait to write, but then the page.
I have no interest in that sort of book.
You have to say more and think less. Slamming of doors.
Said something about the work of Blaise Pascal. Upon reflection, is the same thing everyone says about Pasc–
Headache for hours. The cat in the sill, streetcars through the windows
The day arrives, busy reading.
Andrew Bertaina is the author of the short story collection One Person Away From You (2021), which won the Moon City Short Fiction Award, and the forthcoming essay collection, The Body is a Temporary Gathering Place (Autofocus). His work has appeared in The Threepenny Review, Witness Magazine, Prairie Schooner, Orion, and The Best American Poetry. He has an MFA from American University in Washington, DC. His work is available at andrewbertaina.com