Before it Occurred to Me
Janet Kuypers
03/29/11
as the extra kitchen cleanser
mixed with the laundry detergent
i spilled on the floor before
the fumes rose
i opened a window
turned on a fan
coughed
before it occurred to me
that i could mix these cleaning fluids
at just the right time
and leave him
trapped here
to this fate
as he has trapped me here
for countless years
no, i’m no Nazi
no, i’m not evil
i’m a woman
and sometimes
after you’ve spent years
breathing these fumes
you finally decide
when enough
is enough
Copyright © 2011 Janet Kuypers.
All rights reserved. No material
may be reprinted without express permission.
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