ruby oh ruby

while making love
to your girlfriend
you accidentally call
her by the wrong
name. you call her
ruby. which stops
everything. it's like
a train suddenly
going off the tracks.
who the hell is ruby,
she says, inching
away from you,
as if you were suddenly
a leper,
and covering herself
up with sheets
and blankets. i
don't know, you say.
i don't even know
a ruby. i'm not sure
where that came
from. geez. sorry
honeybun. it
surprises me too.
now where were we?