-Antoine’s early morning predicament -

The faucet in the kitchen

Is dripping.
Rather, it seems to be permanently
About to drip.

A suspended drop of water attached
To the nozzle of the hardware
Shows no indication

Of movement but none-the-less

Tensely expands in volume.

Antoine’s yet to see one break free

And fall into the sink,
Although he has the time to wait it out.
Antoine has an old refrigerator in the basement

Same model as his parents had 

With that sweeping dome of a top

And the wonderfully tactile handle

Which was in fact a latch to be pulled on.

He remembers slowly inching its way inward

Toward his body to the fascinating
Point of no return.

Come to think of it,

Antoine should head to the basement

Right now and run a chain around it

With a secure padlock or remove the door

Entirely,— because of the kids.

Christ, now he’s afraid to open the damn thing.

By his count, that’s four kids in their beds this morning.

Wait-a-minute.

That’s one too many. — oh, yeah.

Audrey Fenstablaugh from across the street

Is a sleepover.
Antoine pours a cup.

Maybe she’ll get up before the others.

At the kitchen table,
Antoine exhales with a sense of anxiety

As he knows that this is but
The beginning of his day.