“Quickies in Widowhood with three instances of laughter (one not narrated), two instances of crying” by Daisy Fried

Poetry faculty member Daisy Fried was recently featured in Plume. Read an excerpt of “Quickies in Widowhood with three instances of laughter (one not narrated), two instances of crying” below:

                     1. Flies
                               (first crush, after)

Amid
the whiteness of
cheeses, corn puffs,
icing-coated
animal crackers,
the salt and milk,
napkins, even
the plasticware
at my sidewalk picnic,
the neighborhood flies
were already
beside themselves
with delight
when I poured him
a snifter of tawnier
brandy