Roger Pfingston
75
In the mirror the old poet worries
that his lips appear thinner,
no longer sexy full, so when he
turns to his wife asking for a kiss,
she says OK, but when they pucker
she can't stop giggling, says it
doesn't matter at their age,
which makes him sad then mad
enough to take her in his arms,
à la Clark Gable, bend her back
and plant one. Can't be sure, she says,
buzzing his cheek. Let me think on it.
Bio
A retired teacher of English and photography, Roger Pfingston is the recipient of a Creative Writing Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts and two PEN Syndicated Fiction Awards. Poems have appeared in recent issues of Poet Lore, American Journal of Poetry, Hamilton Stone Review, Innisfree Poetry Journal and Poetry East. New poems will appear in the fall issue of I-70 Review. A chapbook, A Day Marked for Telling, is available from Finishing Line Press.