Who Will Get the Double Bed?

I will take the Cusinart and of course
you'll take the answering machine
we can splice up the real
of our mutually inclusive dream
but the thought that keeps rambling about in my head
is who will get the double bed?

The sheets that we never bought
can be easily enough forgotten
we can eat separate dinners
so the groceries won't go rotten
and though it seems that
the liquidation is complete
among the financial reports
there's no balance sheet
there's a whirlpool of figures in my head
over who will get the double bed.

The Chagalls in the dining room
were mine from the start
and you had the books and tapes
that made you smart
but when I look into the drawer of miscellaneous -
memory fades, vision blurs, I'm delirious
thoughts of garage sales parade through my head
as I wonder who will get the double bed?

Let's be fair, be kind and do it right
we wish no harm, have no malice or spite
like grown-ups we act indeed?
like children we are in need
as I'm sleeping on the couch (in my head)
I'm wondering who will get the double bed?

© John Ostlund

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