starts wtth an itch

it starts
with an itch.
you take a stick
and ease
it down your shirt
along your back,
you scratch
and scratch
but you just
can't get to it.
you can't
find the sweet
spot of
the itch. just
missing again
and again with
this tree branch
stick.
so you ask a stranger
on the street
if they could
help you.
a woman with an
umbrella. sure
she says, lift
up your shirt.
around and around
she goes
with the point
of the umbrella
and then finally
with her long
nails she finds it,
making you sigh
with satisfaction.
in time you get
married,
you raise a family.
you have a dog,
a nice house
outside of town.
you grow tomatoes
and set them on the sill
to ripen.
you grow old together.
in love
until the end.
this is how it starts,
with an itch.