by Claire Donato
Woebegone I spent the morning browsing mattresses
so I didn’t write you this
nor did I order one.
So too did you not order one
because you don’t know of mattresses
although you sleep on top of one (and sometimes under one—
and under the bed frame the mattress rests on
where I can’t find you.)
Woebegone, where are you?
Come out and rest upon my lap
as I navigate the specifics
of memory foam, pressure relief
and the volatile organic compounds
that get two stars of five
for sex. Couples don’t have to worry
about a squeaky mattress
when it contours minimally.
Models that contain memory
foam often hold the impression
of an HBO marathon.
When you came out this evening
and stood in the sink, I observed you
sobbed, then refilled my waterbed.
Poet and multidisciplinary artist Claire Donato’s chapbook Woebegone is forthcoming in 2023 from Theaphora Editions. She is also the author of Burial, a novella, and The Second Body, a collection of poems, and is at work on two new books. Currently, she is the Assistant Chairperson of Writing at Pratt Institute, where she received the 2020-21 Distinguished Teacher Award. Claire lives in Brooklyn with her cat, Woebegone. Find more of her at somanytumbleweeds.com.