Persian market

“To bed right now!”

I say, with great authority.

“Just five minutes,”

he replies, looking at the screen.

“Okay, but at the commercial,

It’s off to bed with you.”

“the commercial is short,

I’ll just peek at the next scene.”

“That’s it, then to sleep

“or there will be

terrible consequences.”

And I plop down on the couch

to wait for him to switch off

and turn to the stairs.

And my eyes begin to droop

And open only when I hear,

“I’m just going to get some ice cream,

off the truck. Can I have

A few bucks?” 

His hand is already in my purse

and I’d rather get through this

without excitement,

so it passes quietly,

After a while, he comes back

and his face is covered with chocolate

And the tv is still blaring

and he sits down to finish

the last bits of the cone.

“you’ll have to wash your face

and brush your teeth

all over again, or

there will be terrible consequences.

By midnight we’re still on the couch

watching Dr. Strangelove together.