I’ve stopped pretending that I am ok with the
Way things are
I’m tired of always saying please and
Thank you
I want to skip the parent teacher
Conference I know that the dog needs water
You already told me
That I need to check the mail
I am fully aware that my hips crack
Occasionally and my neck didn’t look
Like this a year ago and yes, the skin around my
Ankles has started to sag I want to
Forget to buy toilet paper I don’t care if the oil needs to be changed
I want to hike up my skirt and lie in the sun until my thighs
Burn I want to
Put my fingers in your mouth and feel you
Suck them
I want to let the car run out of gas
I don’t want to pay the water bill I’m going to
Rip up the map
I’m going to go a week without milk in the house
I want to feel the moon fall into my hands
I want to pull the petals off of this rose and eat them
Don’t tell me that age is just a number
Don’t tell me I have to wait to cross the street
Don’t tell me there’s always tomorrow
Lie with me here
Lie with me here in this bed and let me wrap my
Legs around you and I will
Feel the sky
Move
Through me
Yellow to
Gray
To blue

Ann Pedone graduated from Bard College in 1992 with a degree in English Literature. She has a Master’s degree in Chinese Language and Literature from UC Berkeley. Ann’s work has recently appeared in, Neologism, Ornery Quarterly, Unbroken Journal, Alba, Riggwelter, Main Street Rag, and Poet head among others. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.