michele herman

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

The dog has no
aversion reflex.
The husband
knows no shame.
The wife never
forgets a slight.

The dog sometimes
eats poop. The husband
assumes he’s always
right. The wife
carries her grudges
to bed at night.

The dog craves the
residual nutrients.
The husband
sees no need
to apologize.
The wife pries
poop and sorry
from their mouths
with all her might.

Michele Herman’s first novel, Save the Village (Regal House), and her second poetry chapbook, Just Another Jack: The Private Lives of Nursery Rhymes (Finishing Line), both came out in 2022. Her work has appeared in recent issues of Carve, Ploughshares, The Hudson Review and The Sun. She's a devoted teacher at The Writers Studio, a developmental editor, an award-winning translator of Jacques Brel songs, and a columnist at The Villager and The Village Sun.