assonance

little white cat
it made overtures
crouched under cabinet
my mews alternating
her eyes gleaming
and with lights out
a streak
of flying fur

tomorrow, perhaps purrs

anthem

This is my body
You will not touch it
Not without explicit
permission from me

cattle prod

and when you go to sleep at night
do you replay all the things we said?
when walking, wandering, do you hear
created conversations in your head?

and when i send you letters without
subject, purpose, stucture; do
you think that they require replies,
or are they simply passing through?

write me, go ahead
yes, i know that i'd said
i wrote not for replies
well, then write me some lies
what are you afraid of letting slip, anyway?

not what they were looking for

what if i just go, what if i just take
the next bus that comes, to away and back
let go of everything, everyone
break the ties that bind

and i want shoulders to cry on
but i cannot trust the ones around
i know, like quicksand they'll slip
slide under weary eyes
and the tears will only puddle
around my feet again

perhaps i should be watching better
almost fell out that hole in my head
i'm so much older than i can take
and the repetitions drain out more
than i can spare

showing petticoats

went out walking
in love with you
and everyone knew

perhaps it was
the smiling
the humming
the pirouette every third step

but no
perhaps it was
that i yelled it
out loud
let the secret out
with the cat

oh, but it couldn't have been
really
i know better
that would have been as bad as
sunday
longer than
monday

all backwards

i want to be owned,
property
someone's chattel, taken
for granted just as
i am now, only rightfully
because it will be
voluntary, don't you see?

because i do not care
for convention
suffrage, liberation
my women's rights
i only want
someone who'll know me
come and own me
say be mine
and i'll say yes, because
what else do i want from life
really?

just a favour, person
would you, say
please yell me a sigh?

repeating

come and go
little new people popping
in and out of
heart and head
('the sound is plonk',
he said)
and oh, but I tried
so hard and
(can someone see me cry?)
still they do
what they do
and that old refrain
if they would but
refrain
from leaving always
every time
it would be rather
nice,
i'm thinking.