The evening came at me unexpectedly
my son asleep early
my husband working
the house quiet
and I could have read my novel
or called a friend
but I clicked aimlessly instead
through a cascade of websites
so now I know that Avril Lavigne shaved half her head
and why you shouldn’t touch a dead whale
the one unrelated
to the other
except for the way they both sit on my brain
the way too much cake icing
makes you feel
like you have eaten
lip balm
at least you wrote a poem about it
you might think
but don’t be fooled
there is no redemption
only surrender that sometimes
I can be a lump
and the slow catharsis
of tomorrow
my soul prowling again
for sparkle.