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John F McCullagh Dec 2011
A man on the cusp of One Hundred
found letters that proved beyond doubt
that Rosa, his bride since his twenties,
in the 40’s had “catted” about.
Some German had tickled her fancy
and perhaps a bit more its believed.
The statute of limitations doesn’t apply
when an Italian husband’s aggrieved.
Did he stop to think of the children?
They’re at such an impressionable age.
They may go and spend
their whole pension on drugs,
join a gang, or go out and get laid.
Antonio’s mad at his Rosa
He’s just about called her a *****.
It matters not to him that her transgression
dates back to the second world war.
We don’t know what he read in the letters-
Perhaps his whole life’s been a lie-
but as he is on the cusp of one hundred
why not wait for the children to die?




In Italy, a 99 year old man has divorced his wife aged 96  for a affair she had with a German officer in 1942
He found their letters in a drawer.  No he not longer has to wonder why his oldest boy was named " Fritz"
Mercedes Apr 2012
I'm sorry I make ruthless fun of the girls who want to ******* I'm sorry I live in California and I'm not as thin as the other girls are and I'm sorry my eyes are never catted quite so I'm sorry that I don't eat meat and that I was never as enthusiastic as you wanted me to be that I'm not a good driver and I'm sorry that I pushed your hand away. I'm sorry that sometimes I don't like *** and I cry easily and take my rings off at night and stole your favorite shirt. I'm sorry that we think so similarly that it becomes frightening to feel you can't hide. I'm sorry your cigarettes made me nauseous and I'm sorry you ended up with me instead of the friends of mine you say are beautiful and you could fall in love with in an instant. I'm sorry I forget to read the books you tell me to and that I was too afraid to kiss you when I first saw you. I'm sorry I get giggly and didn't dare to bleach my hair and you found me curled up in fetal position in the bathtub and I fell asleep on you. I'm sorry I'm too nostalgic for my own good and I'm sorry my therapist doesn't understand how much you mean to me I'm sorry I made you cry and I'm sorry that I never seem to know quite what to say. I'm sorry I was sleeping when you pulled off the interstate to call and that you didn't read what I'd written at the back of the book I'm sorry I put butter and cheese on pasta like I'm six years old and I'm sorry I don't want to go to Ireland I'm sorry you left Amsterdam early and I'm sorry I make you feel horribly guilty even if it is unintentional. I'm sorry I haven't bought you anything and we never went to the beach or drank your absinthe and sometimes I can't make you come I'm sorry I was scared and went back to my room and ran to the parking meter and left you walking behind. And I'm sorry you feel burdened to make me happy, but I'm not sorry you make me happy.

— The End —