In Which the Reader Will Kiss His Wife

      by Stacey Lounsberry

I.               In Which the Reader Will Kiss His Wife

Now, as we speak, excitement spreads like an ulcer
Because children don’t fall like purity from icicles.

II.             In Which the Reader Will Throw Off His Wig

Coffee never tasted so good.
I rub the round cocoon that is my belly.

III.           In Which the Reader Will Sob For His Youth

My nudity trapped in the bathroom mirror,
Another deformity of what I was taught.

IV.           In Which the Reader Will Kiss His Wife

Thank the good lord because icicles vanish at the touch.
I won’t stop trying to salvage what is left.

* * * * *

Stacey Lounsberry received a BFA in Creative Writing from Morehead State University, and later a Master of Arts in Teaching in Special Education from the University of the Cumberlands. She is a full-time mother and writer, and her work has appeared or is forthcoming in Ariel Chart, CafeLit, The First Line, and Inscape. She is currently seeking representation for her recently completed middle grades chapter series. She lives in Eastern Kentucky with her two young sons and young-at-heart husband.