She Explains How The Dinosaurs Made Her Leave Her Husband

By David Henson

I thought I could handle
his prehistoric passion,
fascination with fossils.

I was patient
when the dinosaur park
ate the whole vacation,
feigned amazement
at the towering skeletons.

I endured the plaster
thigh bones in the garage,
three-toed tracks
that trudged up the walk
and stomped through the house.

I bit my tongue
when he muraled the Mesozoic
on the bedroom wall,
turned our home
into a Jurassic ark.

Then he told me
about his recurring dream.
He’s wandering a wintry plain,
and comes across
a fallen T. rex gasping
giant ferns in the snow.
He builds a bonfire
then sets off hunting
food for the beast.

I left him the night we embraced
and his hand took the measure of my wrist.

___


David Henson and his wife have lived in Brussels and Hong Kong and now reside in Illinois. His work has been nominated for five Pushcart Prizes, three Best Small Fictions, and one Best of the Net, and has appeared in various publications including Backchannels Journal, Best Microfictions 2025, Ghost Parachute, Moonpark Review, Maudlin House, Bright Flash Literary Journal, and Literally Stories. His website is http://writings217.wordpress.com. His X handle is @annalou8.