The Muse
Stop begging.
You will be lucky
if he only winks at you
across the room.
If he touches your elbow,
murmurs something in
your ear, don’t
under any circumstances
rummage about in your purse
for a bit of paper and a pen.
Far less to try to live with
this one-eyed shiftless
lout— his unexplained
absences, his refusal
to follow a schedule or
to work for pay. And then
there is that dangerous
gleam in his one good eye,
the tussle on the bed
that leaves you breathless
drenched in sweat
and crazy for days on end...
No, you don’t want
that, his shameless
promiscuity and moody
silences after.
Stop begging.
Watching him laughing and
at ease in the company
of others will slice
your heart right open.
Stop begging, right now,
and turn your attention
to anything else
while you still can.
Peg Syverson
10/15/08