Honor Box by Janet M. Greenstreet

Worn and tattered, the Western Union telegram holds her heart within its folds. Shall I make wedding plans for Thursday or Saturday? She will wait for him to send word. Once received, she will secure a witness and the priest, bake a yellow cake with buttercream frosting and buy some flowers to hold. It is hard to ignore the looming darkness pinching at the back of her neck. 1951. If he comes back, will he be the same?

daisy chain cigarettes                              wolf swallows dove.

*An earlier version of “Honor Box” appeared in Frogpond issue #39, 2016

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Janet M. Greenstreet is a writer and photographer living and working in the Philadelphia area. Her work has been published in Frogpond journal, bottle rockets press, Red Flag Poetry, Philly Beer Scene magazine, and on billboards in the Pennsylvania countryside.