RDP Tuesday: Cleanser

Loretta Blackwill

had a very busy and complicated life.

She had wine to drink, poems to write, shoes to buy

and air to breathe.

 

Loretta Blackwill wasn’t sure about the science of her situation

but she was sure that there was not enough air to breathe

or Sunlight to soak

into her greedy and hungry ancient skin.

 

So she stole it from her lovers

from their wives, from their children

and pets and houseplants and anything else

that needed  just a little air to breathe. Just a bit was all they needed.

 

But she needed so much more

then me or your or every single dog and cat and lawn or tree

that clung like crazy to the Earth when she breezed by and took it all in.

I don’t think she heard anyone  beg for mercy,  leave us a sip of air they said.

 

So one day we went out

and sailed across an ocean or maybe it was a lake. It could have been a river

I don’t know.

But halfway out, I had an idea and I pushed her in.

 

I don’t know if she took the air from the lungs of the fish

and the whales and the dolphins to breathe and I’m not sure I care

because there’s so much more air for us now

and an ocean of starving animals for her to feed.