April Twosome on Rye Road

The mouthy girl at the supermarket check-out
is on the subway train from downtown
with a small boy, he craving attention, she
cradling a tub of half-eaten popcorn
and nursing a head-ache from "Ice Age I"
at the Saga Cinema, full blast. "And it’s not
as if he needs it loud any more," she says
proudly. "They fixed his deafness
two months back. A new boy, he is
-- oh shut UP, Mommy’s tired!"
We step off into a freezing flurry
of April snow. "Gonna snuggle up warm
now," she says. "With Play Station?" he asks.
Under the blanket? Just us?"