Jeffrey Winke: ANTICIPATION OF SEEING HIM SEEING HER

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“Full of conflicting ideas” best describes her. She knows daddy won’t buy her an Appaloosa, but the promise of life-long happiness is one solid, defining worldview she’ll wrestle anyone to the mud to defend. The perfect man is real to her and, yes, she believes in love at first sight. That’s why she’s never shy about scanning crowds with anticipation of seeing him seeing her and WHAMO—the whole trunk of Chinese fireworks igniting at once. She seeks eye contact with only tall, fit and chisel-chin handsome guys. There’s no way the perfect mate for her could be short, plump, or myopic – no way! She soon turns 29 and her plan to be married, with two kids and a SUV parked in the drive of an over-sized suburban home by age 30, is looking unreal, but not impossible. As she reflects, there are only two men showing earnest interest: Marino, a Romanian circus performer, she met at the big-top two years ago when it was in town, and Ernie the bespectacled 43-year-old bachelor in Accounting who lives with mom. It’s a matter of time, but it will happen she tells herself before burying her glistening, mascara-smudged eyes into a wad of Kleenex.

it smolders –

snuffed cigarette

from her hand
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by Jeffrey Winke
Milwaukee, Wisconsin