For My Woman . . .

No One Knows
(Sister's Lament)

No one knows
Your hurt
Being a man’s doormat
So much
Too long
Seems to be your place.

No one knows

You had a man
With strong arms and big feet
To wipe upon you
While brandishing that love
In his deep
Brown eyes -

Yes, he showed you
Much love,
Too much love -
A love for you
And any
Weak soul
That fell victim to
His hypnotic spell
Just so he could clean
His dirty soles
No one knows

You hurt him in return
But like a man,
He just keeps
Coming back

And like a woman,
You keep accepting him -

No one knows.

Silence
(When Are You Coming Back?)

Silence
Is all I hear
Now!
Though the babies cry
And play
And cry
My heart hears
Silence.

Months gone away
And
Your noise too!

You sold me on love
Yes!
You bedded me good
Sweated me good
One time, Some time

So now, I sit and bear

The kids
(yours too)
All gather about
So young - more innocent
Fearing only the thought
Of not getting ice cream
From the little white truck
Everyday.

Silence

I can still hear
That great rhythmic, melodic squeak
From your big iron bed
That makes me toss
And cry
And wonder why
Now
Silence
Is all I hear.

Been Bitter At Those Men

Been bitter at those men
that come and go
so freely
while I am compelled to
stay in my place
so others can say,
"like a lady,"
and yet not say to you,
"like a man."

Been bitter at those men
because many loves long gone
and not one's come through

Been promised a ring so much, and
instead, received those cheap flowers
that you eagerly purchased from that
little car-chasing guy at the street light
that same little nothing man
that made you feel
more guilty than I ever could

So you did purchase a bunch of flowers
on the way to my house,
and passed them on to me with
that smooth smile

Been bitter at those same men
and you, and
that same
smooth smile
been loved by men
and you
so good
on schedule
every Friday
and been abandoned by men

and you
every Saturday

Been bitter at those same men
that pretend

just like you.