Ed Madden
Watch
Bert’s the first there
for the preview, peruses
table lots of housewares
and china in the quiet.
A couple of locals show up
as he’s about to leave.
They’re wearing masks,
concession to the health
concerns of the owner,
who they call out to
as they walk in, What about
that election? Bert stops
to look through a box
of old notions. Stolen,
Bill says, as he comes out
of the office. They ask
to see a watch they saw
online. He shows them
what they want to see.
The three rehearse their
I heard’s, their someone said’s.
You know, Bill says, something’s
gonna happen. They’ve got
plans for Biden. When he’s
gone, they’ll put in that
woman. Watch, you’ll see.
They all agree.
—Submitted on 11/12/2020
Ed Madden is the author of four books of poetry, most recently Ark (Sibling Rivalry Press 2016). His poems have appeared in the Los Angeles Review, Prairie Schooner, and other journals, as well as the Forward Book of Poetry 2021 (Faber & Faber).
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