As you see in Genesis 21, great was Sarah’s envy of Hagar . . .
                                             —St Antoninus

Your consort writes
Not a day or night goes by
when I do not think of you

to another woman.
He says he was lying.
You say, Then

or now? That night
at last you meet
him—pale ocean

eyes, red-gold
hair—your hands
touch, smiles near . . .

He says, This is a good
problem to have

Being pure light

his radiance
like a jack-o-lantern
shines from within

even when you wake
weirdly happy
and alone again.

Listen to this poem:

Interior Paramour by Barbara Ungar


Photo used under CC.

Poem read by Barbara Ungar and recorded by Leanne Ungar.