tastes like something on fire in my mouthI want to live forever whisperthat into your husband's ear tonight abedmy invisible scrutinized midlifegoodwyf bodyminivan & tankinimy children say back to me phrases Isay to them in darkness things fall silentat dinneryou could start an argumentthis creature bled for fifty-two days &the goodwyf body splits up the middlewingedtextured like painttwo figureslooking at a landscapeshoulder to shoulderfacing opposite directionsit comesback to you like thiswithout the word for it _____Pattie McCarthy is the author of six books of poetry, most recently Quiet Book from Apogee Press (2016). She is an associate professor (non-tenure track) at Temple University. “goodwifthing” is the third section of a booklength manscript called “wifthing" that will be made of four series, each made of 25 sonnets.