The One by: Hope Muyoyo, Graphite, 2018
40th Anniversary
I am awakened by the sound of his snoring
Every morning.
It plays a not so soothing melody
Just for me.
As if it were my own personal alarm clock.
An alarm clock that can never seem to be put on snooze.
I never thought I would make it to 40 years with this man.
Forty years of waking up at 5 in the morning,
Getting his lunch ready and preparing his breakfast.
Scrambled eggs, bacon, dark coffee.
Forty years of putting up with my annoying mother-in-law.
“That’s not how you do it Tere!” or
“Why do you spend so much money on food Tere?” and
My personal favorite,
“I don’t know why he married YOU… no offense”
I can feel my blood boiling up inside,
That lady sure has a way of working up my last nerve!
Forty years of seeing him transition from a boy to a man,
Nineteen-year-old, shy, ranch boy to
Fifty-nine-year-old, grumpy man, who doesn’t know when to shut up!
We aren’t happy unless we are arguing, I’ll tell you that much.
Forty years of construction.
We started with nothing but a small unfurnished studio,
And a raggedy old mattress thrown on the floor.
To a middle-sized, fully furnished, home in the suburbs
3 rooms, 1 studio, 2 dining areas.
It sure was a major renovation.
Forty years,
That have become quite a routine with this man.
A routine worth sticking with for another forty years.