Corkscrewed

"Cork-Screwed"

He walked in like he owned the place

Though she had kicked him out weeks ago

Setting down a cheap bottle of wine for her

An expensive ale for himself

He flopped down on her couch

A DVD of her favorite movie

Still in plastic

So, he lied when he said he’d seen it 100 times

Grabbing the corkscrew from her

He pried off the cap of his cold beer first

He set his bottle down

Leaving a sweaty circle on the freshly waxed table

He slapped it into her open palm

So heavy. So solid

What would it feel like to hurl it at him

She inserted the spiral end into the wine cork.

Turned the alien head

Watched the E.T. arms slowly raise themselves upward

Their little black hands coming together in prayer

Pressed down the arms to lay flat at their sides

The cork being drawn slowly into the alien's body

She imagined the spiral tongue twisting slowly into his chest

Would it extract a heart where she was sure no heart existed

If inserted into his head

Would there be any worthwhile thoughts to pull out

"Hey! We watching this movie or what?"

Pulled her from her daydream

He poked into the plastic wrapping

Tearing it from the movie box

Dropping it onto the just swept floor.

"You need to go," she said. " Don't come back"

Surprised, his eyebrows arched in that fashion

That always made her want to slap him

He grabbed his beer and stormed out

She poured his dollar store wine down the drain

And opened a good one

Once again, watched her friend

Cogged shoulders up and down

Swallowing the cork

She picked up the plastic from the floor

Wiped down the table

And enjoyed her favorite movie

And a glass of good wine

And she smiled

For the first time

In weeks.