Father

One pair of pants, one
One pair of shoes, two shoes, one pair
One top, only
One dress, no more
Sell the rest, give it away, do not keep what you make
Don’t save, don’t hoard, don’t store
Let go, give, leave it all here – away, behind, no more
If you’ll be with me, let it go
Become whole and alone – you thought to bring fire, her holocaust

Ride the train, in its car not your car
That was given, sold, belongs no more
Cross a border, find an orphanage
Move in
No children yet, too many around
Ants in the sugar, freeze it and pick them out
Meal worms in the cereal – do the same
No waste
Thin, meager and rich to you

She learned from this, took away practice
You altered her
We came along and had no clue
What she was before
You
Did you care she might have been different
Did you care she could give much more
You required, never asked, demands must be met
Breeding children and hate, you vicious man

Give me love, touch me, hold – be close
I know you can, see you with others
Open, accept, question and demand, except
With me it’s not the same
Do you see her in me
Do you see someone else
Maybe you really see parts of yourself
Blind man’s bluff
Shall I call it

My brother, your son, loves so deeply
You broke him of that as you broke him out of womb too soon
No woman, none, will ever be
Equal to the man in you, in he
You, only one of you, one
But greater than the sum of all womanhood
Let me say it now and let me be plain and frank for you
Though you thought to bring fire to woman – you brought pain
Your own thoughts the vulture pecking a tasty treat, no liver but heart you’ll never have – punish yourself we haven’t time for you