His Request

This morning he asked me
For adjectives. I said,
“You are the first man
To ask me for adjectives.”
Not that any women
Have, though that would not
Have been remarkable.

I imagine he will use them
As dust rags or tile grout,
Or the pound note on his phone,
The 9 merging with it on its way down.
He will put one in the electric bill
Instead of a check and see
How long his light will last.

When I see him again,
Two of them will have combined
Into his mustache and one
Will be gold-wrapped on his pinky
As if he were rich or fey or both,
And I will ask for them back
Because he obviously does not
Know how to use them.

–Shaun Perkins