hot sauce

nothing lasts forever,
she sighs
wiping a tear
from her eye. she
rubs her finger
where the wedding
band used
to be, and looks
off into the distance
where a dark line
of clouds
has settled in
for the late
afternoon.
what about hot sauce,
you say to her.
I still have the first
bottle of hot
sauce I ever bought
when I got married
in the 70's.
what, she says,
turning to look at
you. did you say
something. no, you
say. nothing.
just mumbling to
myself. go on,
you were saying...