gilrs night out

sometimes she comes
home late
from her book club
and smells
of old spice
after shave
and rum.
her dress will
be on backwards
and her lipstick
will be smudged
to one side
of her flush
cheeks. you suspect
something
may be going on,
and ask her,
so how was the book
club tonight.
fine, she'll answer.
what was the book,
you'll ask gently,
watching her undress,
getting the tangles
out of her
hair with a brush.
oh, ummm, it's a book
about the civil
war.
you want to ask her
what book. to
be specific about
Lincoln
and Gettysburg.
tell me about
the soliers dying
at Antietam, you say,
oh it's too horrible
to discuss, really.
it will give me
nightmares. next week
we are meeting
two nights. we will
be reading war and
peace. it's very
long book, so we might
need a sleep
over for that one.
so don't wait up.