and lets me swipe. I swipe right
twice before she reminds me
it’s left I likely want. I married
before apps became the only
way to meet someone. I swipe
right on a man who reminds
me of an old lover, right on a man
I’d like to see as a future lover, if only
in my mind. I hand her phone back
and she closes the app, doesn’t bother
reviewing my choices. You know I picked
based on my preferences, right? She shrugs.
I doubt it’ll make any difference. Besides,
you’re married, you picked someone right
at least once. I don’t remind her
of the ex who later went to jail
for aggravated sexual assault,
the bruises I once wore like bracelets,
the messy divorce. Instead I smile,
the sunlight glinting off the diamonds
that circle my finger. How many times
would I swipe right if I were actually
looking? How many bad dates would
I suffer through? Swipe left, left, left.
I make a mental note: remember this
the next time you’re annoyed with
your husband. I wonder if I would
have swiped right on him? Some days
I’m not sure. Some days I’m certain.
Courtney LeBlanc is the author of the full length collections Exquisite Bloody, Beating Heart (Riot in Your Throat) and Beautiful & Full of Monsters (Vegetarian Alcoholic Press). She loves nail polish, tattoos, and a soy latte each morning. Read her publications on her blog: www.wordperv.com. Follow her on twitter: @wordperv.