Athena In the Afternoon

ATHENA IN THE AFTERNOON We drove the high edge of the valley, late summer lush green, the cobalt sky a passing cold front with lightning and rain threatening our day “It’s beautiful!” I said “Yes!” she replied like a lazy idea in red thong sandals, dark blue jeans, a man’s oversize shirt, her curly black hair an elegant chaos from an ancient Greek vase I mentioned the sky, she reached for her purse, applied color to her face “Yes, Honey” she said as she painted her lips red with a narrow black brush I said “You don’t even know……. “Not now” she said, her black-rimmed glasses reflecting the valley, the deepening sky, the depth in her eyes “Honey”, she said, “we’ll crash for sure if you don’t watch the road and I’m really not pretty, I just am what I am until you look at me, then…I am….your love” The lightning flashed twice, caught the red ribbon in her hair She drew a sudden breath….and leaned closer to me