Frieda Landau’s most recent poem to appear here was “Dream Lover” (February 2018).

Nightmare for Two
By Frieda Landau

She says “What d’you want for dinner?”
And he says it doesn’t matter
And they go a couple of rounds
Till they’re both in a lather
When they sit down at the table
To the food neither wanted
His eyes are bleak
And her eyes are haunted
Looking at a nightmare for two

Then he holes up in the den
Watching TV all alone
While she’s in the living room
Crying on the phone
She pretends she’s asleep
When he lays down by her side
He’s gone before she wakes
And she wonders when she died
To be living in a nightmare for two

She goes into the kitchen
Sees the note upon the table
“I’ve got meetings day and night
I’ll call you when I’m able”
She pours a cup of coffee
Gives a sigh of relief
Tonight would be peaceful
There won’t be any grief
A break in the nightmare for two

She puts on her makeup
Getting ready for the day
And she wonders how it happened
How the path went astray
She buttons up her power suit
And grabs her bag by the door
Shakes her head and shrugs her shoulders
It doesn’t matter anymore
There’s no escaping from the nightmare for two