Josie
Josie was an
overweight girl
with
dry stringy
hair &
slits for
eyes in a
round puffy face.
She worked at
Walmart after
high school &
ran the
cosmetics department.
Her advice to
women on
what to
apply to
look good
was always
on the money
& within a
few years she
went to
work for a
fashion firm.
She made up
models
for their
photo shoots
& when she
was done
they had a
warm glow
about them
& a
faraway
look in
their eyes.
At home alone
after work
in her
walk-up
apartment
Josie would
prepare
mounds of
food &
listen to
Beethoven.
She’d eat
at a
small table
looking over
the street
& then she’d
sit in
the dark
with the
phone in
her lap
until bedtime.