Lives of the Great Spinsters

We all come into heat the same week.
We harbor no squealers or thieves,
Yet embrace the wisdom of misdemeanor.
Each has written her own obituary.
Those who wish to harvest our histories
Must first read brave Sister Eli’s "Ode
To Serotonin." Rouse yourselves, Sleepy Breeders!
Is our customary public greeting. Cheerfuller
And cheerfuller over the decades, we drifted
Slowly together, like continents colliding.
Not bound by vows, count us in for difficult
Vigils, for administering the fridge-full
Of jewel-hued injectables when necessary.
We’ll suggest where a hot water bottle
Might best be applied, which compress
Should prove deeply relieving for fever
Or situational dizziness. Each of us
Signed on for complete allegiance
To community, for the pay-per-view
Séance, for eleventh hour deathbed edits
Of her will, for sudden eruptive loves, working
Shirtless in the garden, and marrying often—
But only in the privacy of our minds.