Dancer

I am 55 my wife
Is 60 and is being
Checked into a hospital
Room for complications
To a ladies problem,
She is in her icy
Northern Virginia
Polite armor as her
Two elderly Hispanic
Nurses help her into a
Hospital body bib and
Into bed to rest before
Yet another exam.
I hover in the hall
When I arrive
And ask the
Nurses how
She is to
Which
They say
She is doing well
Then they glance at each
Other and timidly ask me if
She is a dancer to which I
Reply that she did take
Ballet lessons as a
Young teenager
And they both
Burst into
Laughter
And explain
They meant an
Exotic dancer to
Which I respond that
My wife does like
To dance but
I would not
Say she
Was
Exotic
Which sends
The two nurses
Into more laughter
As I slowly realize what
They are asking me.
I tell them she
Works as a
Manager
At UT
And
Not as
Any kind
Of exotic dancer
Now or at any time.
I suppose they
Seldom see
A woman
In such
Good
Shape.
As I think
Back on it she
Did tend to stop
Poolside traffic in
Her polka dot
Bikini.
Odd
How unaware
We become of those
Closest to us with
Whom we live
And know
Best.