She Sits At Her Desk

This is a poem I wrote for my creative writing class last fall. It's about my best friend and neighbor, Renee.

She sits at her desk
Searching for cross-stitch patterns
On the Internet, talking to two people at once
On instant messenger, paying an endless
Stream of bills while checking email, talking
On her cell phone, to first one person then another.

Her talismans keep her company throughout the day—
Photos of her husband and her, her kids as kids,
And grandchildren, stuffed valentine bear says “I love you,”
Frog and monkey the dog didn’t want (they didn’t make noises),
A handmade moccasin and metallic butterfly dangling.

Logging her husband’s trucker miles, paying bills again,
Checking email again, burning CDs, on the phone
—still, or again? Yelling at the dog to stop
Barking at unheard noises, wondering what she’ll cook
For dinner, or if she’ll even bother.