My Husband Spends All His Time Waiting

for golf weather
for fast play
for greens with minimal chatter
for birdies or bogies or eagles or par

for politics to lean our way
for religion to get out of its way
for the right time in or out of the market
for the Rule of 72

for me to start talking after a fight
for me to stop talking
for me to leave another job
for me in another ER

for our son to call
for our son to cut
for our son to cut him out
for our son to commit the unthinkable

For robbers or house fires
for the phone to ring at 2:00 am
for eight straight hours of sleep
for one whole day of happy, just one.

Cathryn Cofell is Appleton’s first poet laureate and immediate Past President of the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets. She’s published eight books of poetry, including Stick Figure With Skirt, winner of the Main Street Rag Poetry Award. www.cathryncofell.com