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paranoia

we sit here at dinner.
I try to breathe.
My hands rest on my thighs.
I must watch to be sure,
everything must be right:
the silverware, small fork,
large fork, plate, knife,
tea spoon, soup spoon.
Dessert spoon, stretched above.
Water glass. Wine glass.

I know no one else sees them:
the fish, the red fish, in
the curtains along the wall.
You have to watch them.
My eyes always glance there.

They are evil fish. They sit
in the curtains, they wait,
and then they come out.

And the yogurt, the yogurt
is the only thing that can
save me from them. throw
the yogurt, take a spoon,
use your hands. Anything.

And we sat there before
dinner, and he ate his
yogurt with his first spoon
before I could stop him.

How could you do this? How
can you save yourself now?
Will I have to save you again,
do you even understand
the danger


Copyright Janet Kuypers.
All rights reserved. No material
may be reprinted without express permission.

the book the Window the book S&M by Janet Kuypers in 2007 Life on the Edge, 2007 ccd collection book, front cover It All Comes Down, 2007 Janet Kuypers book, front cover Rising to the Surface, 2007 Janet Kuypers book, front cover