I MET A WOMAN ON THE PLANE

she came from somewhere around Tampa

she was going to Chicago

I liked her a lot

she’d had five children

no she’d had six    one died

at twenty-three days

people said    at least you didn’t

get too attached

she had married at sixteen    she

married again twenty years later

she said she loved her first husband

just couldn’t manage life

five small children? I said

no not that

    what?    him?

no    me she said

I couldn’t get over that baby girl

everyone else did    the big

kids    you’ll drive us all crazy

they said    but that baby    you can’t

believe her beautifulness

when I came into the kids’ room

in her little crib    not a month old

not breathing    they say get over it

it’s more than ten years    go away    leave

us for a while    so I did that    here I am she said

where are you going