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      July 4, 2022OverheardWilliam Virgil Davis

      Well, you know,
      she said, two weeks
      ago, it was our
      anniversary, not
      that he would know,
      or even believe
      me if I told him so,
      so, you know, I
      hatched a plan to
      remind him and,
      well, to surprise
      him too, and so,
      anyhow, I worked
      it all out in my head
      first, had it all in
      my mind for weeks,
      you know, and it
      was even hard not
      to tell anybody,
      even you. Well
      anyhow, I had it
      all set, and when he
      got home I went
      into action, quiet-
      like, so he wouldn’t
      notice or suspect,
      as if he ever did
      suspect anything
      when he wasn’t
      involved, you know.
      Well, I had everything
      all ready when he
      came in the door,
      but, you know, I
      didn’t want to give
      anything away
      either, and so I
      asked him about
      the day he’d had
      and, you know,
      all the small talk
      that we all make,
      and I, you know,
      really listened hard,
      but he hadn’t much
      to say, as usual,
      just the usual, so
      he had a beer or
      two while I did
      dinner and I’d
      gotten a bottle of
      wine at the grocery,
      well, you know, I
      thought that would
      be the thing to do,
      and he only looked
      at me once or twice
      and then he asked
      me what it cost,
      and whether this
      was some kind of
      celebration or
      something here.
      Well I almost
      couldn’t keep my
      smile in, and I said,
      you know, that we
      could afford to
      broaden our horizons
      once in a while. He
      didn’t say anything
      about that, but, you
      know, he drank the
      wine up real quick,
      there wasn’t but half
      a glass left for me.
      But, that was all right
      too, you know, what
      I had in mind all
      along. So after we ate,
      he fell asleep the way
      I knew he would,
      and I, you know,
      could get things set
      up the way I’d planned.
      I started by spreading
      the rose petals from
      right in front of his feet
      all down the hallway
      and right up to the edge
      of the bed. All those
      flowers cost me plenty,
      you know, and then I
      set all the candles out
      and lighted them all
      along the hall and
      then, you know, I
      turned all the lights
      off and made myself
      ready. I had gotten
      some perfume, not
      too expensive, you
      know, and a new black
      bra and panties, and,
      I put a little perfume
      behind each of my
      ears and between
      my breasts, like I’d
      seen in the movies,
      and even a little
      down there, even
      though I hadn’t seen
      that in any movie,
      and then, you know,
      when everything
      was ready and I was
      waiting in the bed,
      I called to him,
      and he came cursing,
      stumbling down the
      hall and muttering
      and I said, you know,
      I’m in here, real
      sweet-like, with those
      rose petals smelling
      wonderful I thought.
      Well, but he, you
      know, he said, what
      is that funny smell
      and he asked me if
      the electricity had
      went off, and I just
      smiled to myself,
      you know, thinking
      I had got it all exactly
      right and waiting,
      you know, for him
      there, and he finally
      did come and it was
      good for me too
      for a change, you
      know. Well he fell
      asleep on top of me
      right after and then,
      you know, the next
      day, it took me half
      the morning, down
      on my hands and
      knees, to pick up
      all those petals.

      from #76 - Summer 2022

      William Virgil Davis

      “It’s amazing what you overhear in public places, but the trick of the persona poem is try to catch an authentic voice—a particular test if the speaker is of the opposite sex.”