Flashing

  does she
          
      when it's late?

does she
          stirring coffee

              in a darkened room

    reach for IT

         without moving

             at all?

does she

          gather together

               her grey housecoat
     
     when it

comes

the memory

          of the near-miss

                         special Christmas night

     when she

         nearly unwrapped

                     IT

to discover

          whether he was

the jack-in-the-box

                    surprise?

     does she know

          how close was

               how near was

                    how like bones

               at the shooting range

          how like whispers

     on the fly's legs

                 does she?

words could have

                     they did

          BUT

          hands burnishing

               skin bright

                    and glowing

                         how much better

but

but

but that was the finale

          finale not the opening

                    applause fast shuffle off

out of sight and

               and

                    into

                         mind.

does she?

          does she?

     does
          she?

                    dicerollers would say

                                   maybe

                                        someone else does.