Don't say

I've often noted

how men have fetishized

my mind.

Which is fine, really

If it's the mind

You want

Less fine

I find

When you want it

up on your shelf

a collection piece

a statement piece

A piece

to speak

to the quality of your

acquisitions

as it were

were it not for

the fact that

that's me

all I am

all I have

I guess that

would be

could be 

fine.

Still, I go on

In the ever increasing

stillness and

un fullfilled ness of

my mind

ever spinning

winning

a race I've never run

or spun a 

tapestry at

gun

point

still . . .

Am I any better?

Is what I do

How I use

people to

get to 

get through my 

end?

I bend 

the rules of ethics I 

so religiously defend

so don't lend

me a pen

I'll write away your friends

your ends

matter not . . .

cannot contend

until my need to 

extend

my heavy

steady

burdened bend

so run, dear friend

fly and flee

don't ever

think of

thinking 

me

For all I am 

and all I'll be

is lonely 

only 

company

for women try

and women pray

to play or

stay an

other day

and if I 

couldn't 

shouldn't say

I love you

Just today.

No Daughter of Israel

shall be a 

har

lot.

Perhaps this isn't referring to a

lot

of sex

at all.

Perhaps it's of the horror of how we

the way in which we

whore out

the whole of

our minds.

Sell our souls for

a bit of schar

make men's means to

make their beds

and as we're bleeding

bleeding

bled

make their means and

make their beds

end.

To their schemes

our dreams

have led

And in pro seed

dings of the dead

cum forth seeding

weeding

wed

Survivor

The relationship is intrinsically abusive

when the dynamic of power is

uneven.

shifted

slanted

in the direction of 

the smarter

the more powerful

the stronger, harder, longer

Survivor

Who could chew you up

and spit you out

and still have another

for dessert

You cannot compare

cannot hope to compete

with the meat

with which I

pick my

teeth

You don't know

cannot know

what it is to be 

free

fleeing

flinged

by me

on the wire

ride my fire

feel desire

Climb so 

high so

ever higher

Taste my body don't

touch my prior

scars and

mars and

mason jars. Where 

I store the hearts

in gorey parts

the carnage of

mens dear departs

Don't come close

I warn you.

Don't come near

my dear

Don't woo a woman

who feels no fear.

She'll burn you up

and leave you drowned

and before you've even

turned around

She's off there with

another