Because I was mad at you,
At what you had not said,
I left the ice cubes out to melt,
And didn’t thaw the chicken
Like you had asked me to.
I pretended to forget.
I pretended to forget you, too,
And walked through the park unattached,
Smiling at strangers.
I planned to leave you
To your freezer-burned dinner
And tepid drinks.
But I came home,
Late,
Footsore,
Tired of smiling,
And put a can of soda in the refrigerator door,
So it would be cold for you
Even though there was no ice.
When I returned,
you hadn't noticed I had gone,
but smiled as if welcoming me back.
