"Dining Alone" by Cat Dixon

Dining Alone

He plans a feast for Monday night —
lobster, corn on the cob, candles
and seafood fork. When the lobster
shrieks, he fantasizes that soon
she will scream with pleasure
in his bed or the walk-in freezer.

When the shadow of the flame
flickers and the butter dribbles
down his chin, he sees her
seated across the table — her hands
crack the tail and dig
out the meat and her long hair,
loose and black, swings
into the bowl of melted butter.

He toasts with lemon water —
this the final meal of the week —
to the woman, the future
children, and their life
together. When he has sucked
the delicate meat from the
smaller claws and wiped
his hands, he lies down
on the couch and falls asleep.

Cat Dixon

Cat Dixon is the author of EVA and TOO HEAVY TO CARRY (Stephen F. Austin University Press, 2016, 2014). She has poems (co-written with Trent Walters) in They Said: A Multi-Genre Anthology of Contemporary Collaborative Writing (Black Lawrence Press, 2018). Her poetry and reviews have appeared in Sugar House Review, Midwest Quarterly Review, Coe Review, Eclectica, The Lake, Yes, Poetry, and Mid-American Review.

Photo Credit: Staff