LEAR’S WIFE

if thou shouldst not be glad,

I would divorce me from thy mother’s tomb,

Sepulch’ring an adult’ress.

—William Shakespeare

He faked my death,

set up this ranch

far from my three

daughters. Suburban

hell-hole. With bracelet

on ankle, house-

arrest. At noon

the bully sun

shoulders a ripe

moon. In the dark

soaps reign. The anchors

will often flash

their glitterati

weddings. Not one

daughter has birthed

the heir. In vitro—

be damned. I hose

the lawn and count

the cars like fish

slipping their shiny

chrome along asphalt.

Which sparrow missed?

Cordelia—

my gutted heart.