The Man with the Wife

by Mark Wisniewski

a man interrupted the OTB gang by speaking of his dying wife's cancer I re-read my Form as he repeated his story of her smoking medical treatments & side effects I share a bed with a woman who smokes so as much as I tried I couldn't commit to as much as a $2 wager his cronies shared tales of their departed wives until someone opened the door & said "hey there's a fire out here" this grew interesting enough to take all of us to it: a discarded Form sopped by a rain-dimpled puddle at our feet somehow fed jubilant flames the man with the wife removed his coat covered most of the fire stomped on the rest stomped harder 1 last flame clung to his cuff too wet to burn I told myself but it I admitted was happening