Rainy Days Are Better in Bed

by Lisa Marie Zapata

I grabbed the branded umbrella before leaving the store under a sudden rainstorm

We sold beds and bed sheet sets

And the umbrella declared

Rainy days are better in bed

But when the balding officer grinned and said,

“You know, I could book you for solicitation.”

I couldn’t help but imagine stabbing the finial through that smirk of his then crushing his head

Some time later—weeks, maybe months passed

I carried the closed umbrella like a weapon in case that other strange fella followed

And when I saw the balding officer that once tried to pick me up with a threat come close

I said, I’m being followed and he asked, what do you want me to do?

I fled and from my peripheral I saw

The bum I gave a Monday, Wednesday, Friday one dollar allowance to tackle

That strange fella that followed

Doing what that balding officer refused to do

______

Lisa Marie Zapata