A Wife is a Hope Chest

A wife is a hope chest in which you keep
the things you will need for a good life.
1: a kettle. Tie the cord to her wrist, she should
never be out of its reach. 2: a snapshot of the woman
you wish you had married. Push it through her
eyes, put it in her head. 3: a pen knife. Good
for cutting bread, package strings, the ring
from her finger. 4: coins. They will make sounds
so you know when she’s coming. 5: silence.
Do not read the letters she writes you, do not
speak even if she pleads. 6: cotton wool. To stop
the flow. Because she will bleed. 7: a book.
One heavy hardback you never intend to read.
8: a skeleton key. Trust her. She won’t use it to get out.

Christine Brandel