Abuse

It was the smile that got me thinking There was no bitterness No resentment No tension between us She kindly spoke With a voice gentle And undemanding “Have a nice day” To which I returned “Thanks, you too” As I took my receipt And walked out of the FedEx office exactly eleven point six pounds lighter than when I’d gone in   “Have a nice day” It wasn’t a commandment to be obeyed Issued from...

What was it? I’ll tell you what it was It was a dragon A fire-of-hell-breathing dragon A black beast of death-muscle-and-teeth dragon   And I was no hero I was a child Afraid of the night So I fled from that beast   I buried myself in the earth And deep under the sea I built my own prison And bore the darkened marks On my flesh Where the concrete walls Taught me with their...

Baptism 1: 1975 Born of Machine At the gates of the Magic Kingdom In a room with a view Disneyland across the street But after nine months in line The ride malfunctioned Lungs not working No time to linger in my mother’s arms To be held close I would have died then and there Without the second womb Made of metal And oxygen   Baptism 2: 1980 Born of Freshwater When I was held At...

As you know We held your memorial last weekend While your laughter still hung in the air Like chandeliers From the heavy wooden beams Of the empty sanctuary You’ve left us   Where we reminded ourselves For a time, times, and half a time again That you would have heard by now “Well done, good and faithful servant…” Words of acceptance Approval Even affection That we all so long to hear   Yes, there were...