It was like the first time
your hand touches a married
man’s thigh; or when you lean
over the velvet rope, right
before you touch the painting;
or the moment you slip
the lipstick from the shelf
to your purse; when you cover
your crying child’s mouth
and say Shut up; it was the moment
you join your husband’s enemy
on the ledge while he smokes,
and you place your hand
at his back, then push.
YOU ARE READING
The Dictators' Guide to Good Housekeeping
PoetrySelected by Margaret Atwood for the 2012 Atty Award. Collection of 10 poems. (The cover photo is a detail from the painting "Eine kleine Nachtmusik" by Dorthea Tanning. Tate Collection, London).
