The Devil's Wife Still Comes

the devil?
He's in a hospital in Detroit.
He's a colored man
and commits idolatry
by watching television
on purpose.

keeping up his evil

for good, for beautiful, for true
do not concern him
he left his wife fifteen years ago
after a botched abortion
but knows she is watching
from an electronic plane buggy
while he finishes peas
and trades jello for ham.

He knows two phrases in Latin (pig)
and uses them to condemn his enemies
and often rhymes
the water line
in Palestine
my demons there
destroy the time

keeping up his evil

The devil is being made to eat his medicine.
The devil is accepting souls
in return for observing his bedtime.
It is 1967 and outside things are happening
while the devil tempts heaven
and chases a sandmachine
that forces his sleep
down the hall.

It is an electronic mop
and he is the devil
and his wife brings a bag of fruit sometimes
and sad, angry eyes
to the room with the warped TV.

"It's you and me." she says

"It's the devil and his enemies. I'm dead."

The devil's wife begins bruising his fruit
on purpose
and committing adultery
with a cop
who let her off
a speeding ticket
last week when she almost missed visiting hours.
Her devil has not had her
since he became a mad man,
but the devil's wife still comes.