Margarita

In the scablands

I was his sour rose

made from the brittle peel

of a dark and shriveled lime.

I wore heartache on Tuesdays

and stilettos on workdays—

cradling my rusted pride

with strength just enough to throw halite

on the trail of slush

left by his insensate heart.

He simply laughed, depravedly,

Corona spraying from his nose,

until the sting

and watery-eyed regret

saw my frozen eyes, obsidian, indifferent—

to his suffering of half-drunk burns.

© 2013 Jennifer Wagner

For Laurie Kolp’s prompt at Poetry Jam.

*Halite-aka rock salt, used to melt ice.

*Mexican beer and lime can cause burn marks similar to that of a jellyfish sting.