Monica Mills
​Image by leandrocarvalhophoto on Pixabay                                                                                            
Monica Mills is a Jamaican-American writer and poet. Her work appears in The AnthologistThe Normal Review, and Guildscript. Monica enjoys rainy days and ginger tea.
Bert and Ernie Go to Couples Therapy     






these phantom limbs are not our own 
as every you every me is compelled by crease 
of coiling wire in someone else’s hand 
I am no man I am no monster I am both I am neither 
something with so much time though none yet to live

today’s number is fifty-two 
but the Jim Henson company owns our story
that is fifty-two years since we met
that is forty-four more fingers than all I have off my palms
fifty-one more lives than I have to spare 
still no wedding ring to wear. 

they say a puppet is a movable model 
all a person half alive like records that skip 
on every favorite song or breath bloated balloons 
gone to heaven found later on the ground 
our street is no heaven but haven of sorts 
new neighbors come and know we don’t exist 
lost in creature comforts they ride by
inflating rent with easy smiles.

the days here go slow full of reruns and hours 
spent forgetting lines behind the scenes. 
it’s funny. we practice speaking, 
moving our mouths to vowels found in this world 
yet you’ve forgotten all the ways to say my name. 

from lo--ve or sw-ee-tie or dar-ling and now
Ernie - in one breath as though it sits 
hot and green on your tongue 
like I am bound to Oscar down the street 
like I am trash put out in better hours.

Bert, today’s letter is R so here were are 
wrapped in ghost-quiet of this round room 
riddled in rainbow hues to ruminate 
over our togetherness alone with this stranger all in blue  
who claims he knows what to do 
and how to make our house a home.


©2021 West Trade Review
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Stay Connected to Our Literary Community.  Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Home    About    Subscribe    Guidelines   Submit   Exclusives   West End    
Home    About    Subscribe    Guidelines   Submit   Exclusives   West End    
Listen Here: