Woman in an Armchair

the woman in an armchair
with a large, fat dog,
was terrified of animals.
she had to be careful not to leave
any spare food on her front porch;
a passing cat would steal the meal,
or a fox would grab an egg.
the egg would be whisked away,
eaten at a later moment,
raw and uncooked.
but the woman never tried to conceal the egg,
despite the worry etched on her face.
she had stolen treasures stashed in her
huge closets, along with any extra clothes.
she had to be careful where she stepped
when the lights were turned down low;
cleaning was done only once a month,
but with the same old broom.
a little walnut piano sat in one corner
near the sunroom, by the fireplace.
a faint smell of ivory would waft
whenever anyone played an African song.
although she was always happy about
one thing or another, her most favorite things were
necklaces, bracelets, and ceremonial masks.
she wanted to maintain face,
even while having an afternoon tea.