lace, to let the light in

she tells me that she would
be happy
in a cardboard box
behind the liquor store.
i'd be perfectly content
with that, she says.
we'd need pillows, I tell her.
a warm blanket.
chardonnay she adds in.
maybe
a toaster oven, I offer.
yes, she says.
and a bowl
and mixer to make cookies.
we'd need a big box,
I tell her.
big enough to stretch out
and read,
enough room
to do the sunday crossword
puzzle.
maybe some curtains too,
she says,
lace
to let the light in.