Linda Sonrisa’s most recent poem to appear here was “Life Turns” (May 2018). 

Sanskrit riddle
By Linda Sonrisa

Poolside
at the Center for Human Potential
a petite, tanned rogue
smiles at me from behind
his whiskers, while
With shy tenderness
he strokes the bronze belly
of the dark-haired beauty beside him

Later,
she gives him to me,
with the quip:
“Relationship lite”
Determined, I dive in—

As festive as First Love, but better,
seasoned with the sauce of our flamboyant, foolish pasts.
Love in a vintage white dress, white cake
covered in golden calendula petals,
white light shining down on my dream come true.

For twenty years we tended
our life: home, family, community.
We lived our comfortable myth of domestic bliss, yet
the dream went supernova one day
exploded open
by the flames of chaos and deceit.

One too many
love bites on his wandering body
One too many
marital moments poisoned
as the computer, coiled,
hissed maliciously
waiting for his touch

So many I’m sorrys, so many Never agains
heard each time his hand
was caught
in the cookie jar
of lies

Green snake
strikes most soft flesh,
and at last
I see
the chameleon skin slide away,
revealing the rogue’s smile to be
Feral after all

sweet Maya of Illusion sizzles and burns
Ashen smoke spins up to the sky as the
Bridal spell breaks—

Even Cinderella
drops her dancing shoe
one day.