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Windows

Cheryl Ward has a lovely voice,

Delicate and precise.

Cheryl Ward speaks softly,

About the adaptations of horses.

Cheryl Ward looks like

Alice.

 

Alice fancies older men,

Who break her heart again,

And again.

 

Another

Alice sits in the crowd,

And smiles when the speaker looks her way.

She wears a scarf that blends into her

Hair.

 

The Alices have no accents, not

Like Cheryl Ward.

Cheryl Ward has an accent, the same

As Jeff’s.

 

Jeff breaks all the rules,

He doesn’t think they are important.

Jeff calls you foolish

With his superior, twitching,

Librarian nose.

 

The second Alice has a lovely nose,

Though it is often red

In the mornings, when she talks

About the genetics of cows.

 

The first Alice doesn’t care for cows, or for horses,

She much prefers her office.

Her office has windows that overlook the city

And a photo of an older man, about to

Break her heart,

Sitting by the telephone.

 

In Cheryl Ward’s office, a picture of Jeff sits

Between the computer monitor and a tray paper clips.

Cheryl Ward’s office is underground.

Cheryl Ward has no windows.

© 2025 by Erin J Doyle

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