Would the woman who was seated in 14C
proceed to Baggage Claim to retrieve
one husband and four checked bags?
He regrets what he said on Kamaole Beach.
He didn’t mean you looked overweight
in your Costco one-piece – although he maintains
you’ve griped incessantly about pounds
amassed during the quarantine.
He meant “rounding out” as a joke.
 
Truth is, I understand. Not
the fudging of his jibe – that was lame –
but additions to tummies and thighs.
Diets never work, so vanity’s a vice I’ve trashed.
I’m at the age when ... but I digress.
Attention, 14C. Your husband’s stuck
at the Alaska carousel. He’s the one
pacing in a Hilo Hattie’s shirt,
mopping heat off his sunburned face.

 
This poem first appeared in Global Poemic (2021).
Used here with permission.