Janelle Cordero

Open Marriage

I.

You tallied the women you’ve slept with on your fingers. Six, you say aloud. See? Not that many. But a few minutes later, you realize you’ve forgotten to include me in your count. We’re like the odometer on an old car, you say. We’ve slept together so many times the numbers have rolled over to zero. Will you sleep with more people in your lifetime? Probably, but I hope you always return so I can be the last body you touch before everything ends.

II.

The beautiful older woman with perfect skin and fake tits asks my husband if he wants to fuck. She’s high off blow and going through a divorce. He tells her he’s married. Me, too, she says. I’m in another room, drunk and laughing with friends from middle school about nothing in particular. What does all of this mean? It doesn’t matter – drink to me as her hand touches his thigh.

Author Reading

About the Author

Janelle Cordero is an interdisciplinary artist and educator living in Spokane, Washington State. Her writing has been published in dozens of literary journals, including Harpur Palate, Hobart and North Dakota Quarterly, while her paintings have been featured in venues throughout the Pacific Northwest. Janelle is the author of four books of poetry: Impossible Years (V. A. Press, 2022), Many Types of Wildflowers (V. A. Press, 2020), Woke to Birds (V. A. Press, 2019) and Two Cups of Tomatoes (P. W. P. Press, 2015). Stay connected with Janelle’s work at www.janellecordero.com and follow her on Instagram @janelle_v_cordero.