We met in between serious and worse.
And it was fun. She wrote: My girlfriend
and I are living above a paint store
in Chicago. Come visit!
She was like a warm day in October, crimson,
burnt-orange, gamboge – a deep saffron,
gamboge powder is made from the resin
of the Garcinia tree. Used in oil and watercolor
paint, it is said to be so poisonous, even a touch
on the lips is fatal. I wanted to go.
But I owed a debt to someone else.
It was serious. After the abortion,
we made plans to travel. I was unsure
I wanted to go, but I did. It got worse.
Recently, I read aloud what I had written
in my writing group – about the affair in Chicago,
so long ago. A woman commented, I am jealous.