Subtext by Mary Lee Bragg

November 2, 2022
Poem name: Subtext Poet name: Mary Lee Bragg Poem: We watched the Swedish movie, the one about the marriage, and the subtitles ran continuously, even when the characters weren’t speaking. We didn’t notice right away that words and actions were out of sync, since that’s what the movie was really about. But by the end, when the embrace at the door was subtitled I always hated your smug oily smile and the welcome drink Send an ambulance right away by then we knew something was wrong. But it was so right for that movie and we were so stoned, more merry than stunned, that we watched the last half hour with no subtitles, and understood everything, as if the script was already written for us. End of poem. Credits and bio: Copyright © Mary Lee Bragg Mary Lee Bragg lives in Ottawa. Her poetry has appeared in numerous literary magazines, two chapbooks, and the collection The Landscape That Isn’t There, which was shortlisted for the 2019 Archibald Lampman Award. She is married to poet Colin Morton, and is an active member of the Ruby Tuesdays poetry workshop.