make sure you do it in stages / gently /
masterfully / let her think it's just / the
rhythmic quirks of your character /
remember / a good wife / comes apart
at the wrists and / clavicles / let her think /
always / it must be her fault / set your standards
up / on the highest shelf / just out of her reach
and file / those heels / over 2 inches /
down to dust / give her flowers / after years
of her asking / when she no longer cares
for them / anymore / wrap every morsel of praise up
/ in layers of complaint / be good / always /
be faithful / be consistent in the things / she's
never asked you for / resist / the soft weight of
her body / wordless / let your displeasure / disgust /
be known / of her rounded angles / of her imperfections
/ remind her / always / that the children /
your children / deserve better / buy her a house and
give her leave of a single room / inside it /
remember / a good wife is raised / on a steady diet
/ of doubt / questions / do not need to be answered
/ broken windows / you'll find / let in more than just
a draught / don't forget to / wonder why / why again
she is crying / why parts of her tremble at the slightest
sound / why the walls / whitewashed / are lined with
her grieving / why she smells of hunger / how
she came to be strung up so high / and so tight /
why she's caught in a cycle of bleeding / and retracting
/ why she's dissolving into nothing / into dust / in your arms
Written by Elizabeth M Castillo
Elizabeth M Castillo is a British-Mauritian educator, poet and writer, and a two-time Pushcart Prize and BotN nominee. She lives in Paris with her family and two cats, where she writes different things, in different languages, under different pen names. Her writing has been published internationally and in three languages. She is the author of two critically-acclaimed poetry books: Cajoncito: Poems on Love, Loss, y Otras Locuras, and Not Quite An Ocean. You can connect with her on Instagram, TikTok and X as @emcwritesthings