Steve Kissing

We Have Fought About Some Silly Things Over the Years

You thought the cloud
Looked like a dog in a hat;
I couldn’t see that, only
A fire engine on its side.
Neither of us would budge,
Nor offer up a compromise:
A butterfly on a bike, for instance.
You’re in the living room now
Watching a TV show
I can’t stomach.
I’m in the kitchen
Reading an author you despise.
Before I get to the last page,
I step outside. Above me
The full moon illuminates
Fast-moving clouds, one of which−−
I wonder if you’d agree−−
Looks like our empty bed.

Steve Kissing’s writing credits include a memoir, RUNNING FROM THE DEVIL (Crossroad Books, 2003), a monthly column, ODD MAN OUT, in CINCINNATI MAGAZINE, and several published and soon-to-be-published poems.