April 25

National Poetry Month’s Poem-A-Day 30-Day Challenge: Day 25


CRUISE CONTROL


She can’t quite recall

how it came to be that

he took over all responsibility

for things financial: paying bills,

keeping the books, making sure

checks didn't bounce, setting up

various investment accounts.

Later, when he had driven

their whole life off the cliff,

she wondered how she could have missed

all the signs along the way—

the things he did and didn’t say

smooth as he was in his title role—

and she asleep in the comfortable back seat

relieved someone else was in control.