Lew Watts
Payback
I knew I’d feel nostalgic returning to The Hague, but doing so as a spouse has certainly made it easier. When my wife and I became romantically involved, it was soon clear that one of us would have to quit the company. That was me—with her relentless drive, she clearly had more “upward mobility.”
Today has been particularly rewarding. At breakfast, we were invited to open our spouse packs, clockwise. Each contained a company-logo pendant, an orange-colored headscarf, a small booklet labeled “Our Values,” and a program-of-the-day—I was helpfully listed using my wife’s surname. But now, after a walking tour of Delft, I am comfortably seated at a worktable, painting blue petals on porcelain under the approving eye of the Chairman’s wife. Not perfect, but a dab hand, if I say so myself.
night sweats
once again falling
through a glass ceiling
About the Author
Lew Watts is the author of the poetry collections Lessons for Tangueros and Tick-Tock, and the novel Marcel Malone. He lives in Chicago.