Photo by Elena Leya on Unsplash
by Tina Barry
Jason smirks when he sees me eyeing the milkweed in our garden. “I wondered when you’d notice,” he says, handing me a glass of the ice tea I steeped earlier, but I’m always slow to notice. The garden needs more height and drama, hence the milkweed he planted; my six-year-old needs tough love before he turns into a little snowflake; and my sense of humor needs work too, or I’d have laughed about his donation to the Trump campaign in my boss’s name. Now he’s annoyed that I haven’t commented on the drink’s lemon slice or sprig of mint. I watch him take a big swig, see if he detects anything odd about the flavor. “Drink up, honey,” I tell him, clinking our glasses.
Tina Barry’s third collection I Tell Henrietta was published in 2024 (Aim Higher Press). Her poetry and short fiction can be found in Gooseberry Pie, The Best Small Fictions 2016 and 2020, SoFloPoJo, Rattle, Verse Daily and elsewhere.
