the party was finally over

after long ignoring the hints to leave

the last straggling guests had gone

her husband was already asleep fully clothed on the bed 

she was tired but still buzzed from the wine

half empty glasses filled every room

well trampled crumbs laying lifeless on the floor

discarded hors doeuvres displayed on every horizontal surface

she started collecting glasses and stacking the dishwasher

I never knew we had so many she laughed

emptying food remnants into a trash bag

she felt guilty about throwing good food away

beneath a pile of plates roughly stacked on the floor

she caught sight of her wedding photograph

faces smiling through broken glass

her damaged marriage now portrayed in a broken frame

is that really me three decades ago

I was much thinner then with longer hair

my husband looks so much older now

he never smiles like that anymore

she sat down with the broken photograph in hand

wondering what had she achieved since her wedding day

two grown kids now in college and a fat drunken lazy husband

sleeping off his hangover while she cleaned up after the party

what is the point of all this she asked herself

even if she spent all night cleaning washing and polishing

he will still wake up grumpy and complaining

as the wine buzz wore off she remembered why she drank so much

unhappiness was her unwelcome sober state

suppressed daily by a bottle or two of wine

this is no way to live she told herself

she taped a note to the broken photograph…I am leaving you…