Trussed by Patrick Trombly

The arch triumphal, raised above your head,

pointe flexed and strapped to idol-worshipped calf –

stiff-necked and flat, you stare up at that red.

She executes adeptly her piaffe

(she deftly steps). Her dress, brushing your chin,

whiffs perfume from beneath black silken sheen.

Startling stabs from her stiletto pin

alert you to the turn in her routine:

the piercing spear that punctures your conceit.

You flinch - so swiftly she brings you to heel.

Wickedly she’ll whisper, then repeat:

“I know your wife. Be good, or I’ll reveal

to her that this is how your money’s spent.”

You are defined by your predicament.

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Patrick Trombly has been writing poetry for publication since early 2025.  He writes in a variety of formats, formal and informal, and a variety of narrative voices, and explores the entire range of human experience.  Representative publishers include The Dewdrop, Loch Raven Review, In Parentheses and Beyond Words.  He lives and works in Manhattan.