Pleading the Fifth

He spoke too loudly
no subtlety here,
pleading the fifth
to the cell phone
Emphatic gestures
with his free hand,
litany of curses,
swearing he’ll change
if Sofie would only
fn’ shut up and listen

I tried not to watch
I tried not to hear
words that rolled
off his tongue easily
as though memorized

I tried not to judge
him disingenuous
I tried to not deem
him an obnoxiously
loud show-boater

Diverting focus away
from him, intentional
study of a clip, sliding
from a woman’s hair;
slipping slowly, tendrils
falling lazily down her
back, dropping, synced
to the sound of him,
screaming that Sofie
“can’t fn do this to him”
Air brakes jolted me
as the bus stopped
He pushed through
unopened doors,
bursting outwards

Airbrakes and silence.

©Brenda-Lee Ranta

Response to our Inspiration Call on January 23, 2018

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Categories: Featured Writer's

Tags: Creative Talents Unleashed, Featured Writer, Poetry, writer