The Lover's Chase

by SCOTT POOLE

I want to arrest Gretchen,
but that little vixen
stole my gallbladder
when I wasn't looking
and is
running all over the house
                with it . . .

... but the way her gauzy dress
                flies out behind her
reminds of hot nights in Spain
when the heat rises from the red floor
and young lovers in white
dance to music exhaling
from the small mouths of ancient stone . . .

Man, I'm dizzy...
This running.              Jesus.
Perhaps it's the blood loss,
    I should, I should...
Or maybe . .  it's love.

Some would say just shoot her,
                but she's giggling
 and her perfume
                ... in the evening's breath . . .

My last girlfriend picked her nose
watching the Bachelorette.

No, don't go upstairs Gretchen. Oh Christ.
These are big stairs.
Something just fell out of my side.
Look at it go down, it rolls down stairs
alone and in pairs and makes
a slinkety . .

Concentrate...you're an officer of the ...
sworn to uphold... shoot that bitc....
 
Wait.
Don't I need to go get that
                                                Or my gallbladder?
She'll come down sometime. Right?
                                From these lofty heights of love . . .
Wait, or was I going down?
                Who am I talking to?
When she runs by . . . Gretchen. . .
I'll just say hi and casually
                              wound her . . . right?