An Easter Story

While watching the kids fly kites on Saturday
I met a woman who fell in love with my yellow lab.
She liked his silky ears and warm hound dog eyes
and started to tell me about her own pet.

She pulled out her iphone to show a video
of a white duck out by her pool. She said,
"I got her as a gift last Easter and
didn’t know what to do with her

but gradually she was welcomed indoors,
followed me or my husband all around
and quacked when strangers came to the door.
Little by little, our guard broke down

and she became a constant companion, delighting
the neighbors and kids. We named her, Lady.
She was the favorite of the house but like all
favorites, came between my husband and me.

The first sign of trouble was when
she laid an egg for him on his birthday
but not one for me, no matter how I pleaded.
Little by little my jealousy reared,

small fights about all sorts of things
he took her side no matter the issue.
I wanted a dog but my husband wouldn’t
consider it. He feared for her safety

so that ended it. He also didn’t like people
who asked questions like, 'How long do ducks live?'
and 'When can we eat her for dinner?'
I worried that things had gone too far

but how could I compete with a duck who
waddles and fills the house with her,
'Quack, quack, quack.' Do you know how
long ducks live?" she asked. "Can I deal

with this for five years, or ten, or thirty-five?”
She smiled, wiped her tears, petted my dog
whispering, “I love your silky ears,” then walked
away, this woman... who was jealous of a duck.