Gradiva imprisoned.

the town is down today.
the shops are closed.
in the restaurant, the wife
cooks and eats for herself
alone. and she grows fat.
when her husband comes
he will only smile. his words
are always kind. his jokes
well-padded like winter clothing.
there is protection against the cold
but when the skin thaws from the freeze
there is a moment of sharp unbearable
numbness. the pain that resides until
the feeling is lost on the nerves.
there is surrender. one adapts.
one is thankful for the sun
in this town of limited follies.
there is the daily madman
that hides until nightfall.
he waits for her then.
she does not know.
she waits for him, her
husband, who is late,
again. she eats, a spoon
to her face, slow and reflective.
she does not stop. this is all there is
to hold. this is all there is to the day.
outside is a place she cannot care for.
the husband is coming. the madman waits.
she does not know yet she is pregnant.