1. Don’t let yourself go. Your man will look for someone else.
2. Learn how to cook. It’s embarrassing you can’t crack an egg.
3. If you can’t make your own sofrito from scratch,
then you don’t know how to cook.
4. Keep the house clean.
5. Don’t talk too much. Don’t yell too much.
6. Let him look. All men look.
7. Have kids– that will bring you closer.
I don’t know how to tell my twice-divorced aunt
that I don’t care about keeping a man.
It is he who should worry about being kept.
I’ve got eyes too, brown like coffee,
strong like cacao seeds. My eyes can arouse,
sweetened mornings. They are bachata lyrics
wrapped in chocolate. I know what I bring to the table,
and I don’t need a list.
I take a sip of my coffee and thank her
for the advice.
Elaine Nadal is Poet Laureate of Milford, Connecticut, and author of two poetry books: When and Sweat, Dance, Sing, Cut, published by Finishing Line Press. She is a Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net-nominee and has delivered a TEDx talk on hope, poetry, and music.
Website: elainenadal.com
Instagram: @elaine_nadal
