ignivomous: adjective – vomiting or spewing forth fire.

The Bather

While
she tentatively dips a toe in the crystal water,
he races across the flat, dry land.
Top down, dark hair flying, blasting the classics
Smile so tight he can’t sing along
Smile so long his face tans that way
If he ever stops smiling, contrasting lines will punctuate
and radiate his visage.

While
he travels freely to no particular destination,
they sit across from each other in a dimly lit dining room.
Silver clicks and clacks on China, rings on crystal
She spits vitriol through ignivomous lips between bites.
He hunches over his plate, shoving overflowing forkfuls of steak,
mashed-potatoes and candied carrots,
mushy peas and roasted garlic
His hand works like an excavator.
Beet juice runs down his chin.

While
she expresses disdain over dinner,
the bather has waded up to her thighs.
She faces a troubling decision.
The next few steps are more sensitive.
Will she continue to inch forward?
While waves lap and splash creating goose flesh,
she rises on tiptoe to postpone the painful shock of cold
then steels herself and dives in.