Aunt Eudora’s Harlequin Romance

She turns the bedlamp on. The book falls open
in her mottled hands, and while she reads
her mouth begins to quiver, forming words
like Breathless. Promises. Elope.
As she turns the leaves, Eudora’s cheek
takes on a bit of bloom. Her frowzy hair
thickens and turns gold, her dim eyes clear,
the wattles vanish from her slender neck.
Her waist, emerging from its ring of flesh,
bends to the side. Breasts that used to hang
like pockets rise and ripen; her long legs
tremble. Her eyes close, she holds her breath—
the steamy pages flutter by, unread,
as lover after lover finds her bed.

Poem copyright ©2015 by Marilyn L. Taylor, “Aunt Eudora’s Harlequin Romance,” from Third Wednesday, (Vol. IX, No. 1, 2015/2016). Poem reprinted by permission of Marilyn L. Taylor and the publisher.