It Was Andy's Birthday

there was a thin girl in a pleated skirt, flowered blouse, long blonde hair who'd just been married. they talked, (awkward in the doorway), of travel. "oh, was it a haiku?" she asked, blushed. "i mean a coup!" told of being in ecaudor and being reassured it was so safe there, that if someone stole from her they'd kill them, so she shouldn't worry. she volunteered with orphans 10 hours a day and they were hanging the dead in the streets. she told me how they knocked on the door, asked if they could pick the little plums, made jam.