By: Holly Day

Years later, when all was forgiven, Jacob
would have Esau over to dinner
to share some of the good fortune that continued to come his way
long after none would have expected.
They would sit around their father’s blessing and reminisce
about the good old days, before this thing had come between them
this glistening, sparkling promise of security
that could only be given once, to one person, at one specific time.

Sometimes, when he thought Jacob wasn’t looking, Esau would try to touch the blessing
would throw pillowcases and handkerchiefs over it in an attempt
to steal it for himself. When this didn’t work, he’d find the solace he sought
in his brother’s wife, late at night. She never minded his rough, hairy hands
the thick pelt of fur on his neck and face, the odor of goat that clung to his body.
The weight of debt that hung between the two of them
was enough to pacify all of the regret.

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Holly Day has taught writing classes at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, since 2000. Her poetry has recently appeared in Tampa Review, SLAB, and Gargoyle, while her newest nonfiction book, Tattoos FAQ, is coming out from Backbeat Books at the end of 2017.