The New House
Cat Dixon
In the old house, the swarms of flies
you sent clouded the bathroom mirror
and swam in the puddles of wine
on my nightstand. A spider left
a red painful rash on my right calf
after I rocked in the pink recliner
which used to sit in our daughter’s
nursery. The silverfish, hiding beneath
the white laundry basket, set
my skin afire, so I moved away.
This house is newer and bigger.
No more pests.
Two months pass and I finally relax—
I’m a new woman without you.
Poised at the keyboard, ready
to write, a fly bounces along
the ceiling fan’s blades. Its fat body
drunk on your spirit. I exit the office
and spend the day in the kitchen.
I’ll never see that fly again.
Seven days later a brittle spider
corpse waits in the closet corner.
All your tricks are meaningless.
You can’t speak to me.
Cat Dixon’s newest poetry collection, What Happens in Nebraska, was released by Stephen F. Austin University Press in November. Cat is a poetry editor with The Good Life Review. Cat is a Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominee and has been published in numerous literary magazines including recently in Rise Up Review, SWWIM Every Day, Coffin Bell Journal, and Potomac Review.