Where Can You Even Buy a Lachrymatory
By Sherry Fraser
*A small glass teardrop-shaped vessel found in Roman tombs formerly thought to hold the mourners' tears. At this repository of odd lots expired best-by dates I once hated then loved when I grew cheap like him, I pick the Ethiopian checker at check stand six I usually avoid for her talk her annoyingly reliable question, How’s your husband? like she knows him like he cares sees kinship in shared descent. Today I long for her question so I can wrest the mic from her hand announce to throng-filled aisles Ex-husband! Wait as past-prime eligibles stampede toward me bearing bouquets of discount broccoli cauliflower arugula off-brand cheeses $3.99 bottles of wine (reduced from $79.98!) —already turned. Watch them contort at my neon blue feet and vie for rights to fix fences clean basement clear gutters organize garage weed prune spackle paint plumb tune move lift do my bidding. But this time she startles me for a beat, I saw your ex-husband last week, so skeeny, so skeeny. then recall he flew through town when I was out, knew for him no walk drive or flight was ever complete without a stop at the Grocery Outlet Bargain Market. He’s doing penance. I sniff as untapped springs crack concrete subfloors overhead sprinklers deploy sea levels rise. Voice over the P.A. system decries, Clean up at check stand six, and bring this gal a lachrymatory from aisle five! while women in line behind reach into handbags and hand me tissues.
Sherry Fraser’s poems focus on the weird, with humor, sarcasm, confession, sadness, and love on display. Her poetry has been published in Milvia Street, Chrones’ Words, The Scribbler, and other publications. She lives in Point Richmond, California, across the bay from San Francisco. In addition to poetry, Sherry writes fiction and short memoir pieces and fiction, all while supporting her elderly cat, who thanks her by stalking and preying upon her feet and ankles.
12/12 / Poetry Reading and Conversation with visiting poet-in-residence Nicole Cooley + local writer Caroline Cabrera / The Gallery at The Betsy-South Beach, Miami Beach, FL / Live and Live-Streamed on Instagram Live/Facebook Live at @swwimmiami / 7-8:30 pm EST / Free
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I read this and wished Sherry Fraser had a Substack so I could read more!
As always, I love your words-work... both the music of it and the passion.