A Catalog of the Things I Hate about Her, to be Displayed in the Event that She Leaves Me
–Neil Hilborn

All of the food in her fridge has rotted
or is rotting. She duct tapes her bed frame
back together and declares it fixed. The bugs
are always pouring in her windows. There is a candle
that is actually the remains of hundreds
of candles. There are books
she will never read and a typewriter
she does not know how to use. She complains
about the mess as she throws her bra
on the floor. A stack of books is holding up
her bed now. She is cooking now. Once, a squirrel
climbed into her window and she wanted
to name it. She wants to keep the cats
with mange. She buys boxes upon boxes
and leaves them empty. The lightbulbs
are burning out one by one. She is sitting
in the dark, reading.

Photo by Jez Timms on Unsplash