Salmon Flesh
for D.B.A.

i.
she can be really lowdown
fighting over pork chop

cussing, threatening to move out
because sister or brother
bit into something

she left in the refrigerator
to drink or to eat

and now and then
I am turned upon similarly

the same cuss words
the same contempt

when she finds it- thinks it's necessary
to retaliate, to lash out, to lash me
with cusses, with cuss words

when all
I am ever deserving of
are sweet words and kisses

ii.
God have mercy
have mercy
have mercy

make her mine
make her mine
make her mine

she is too beautiful not to be
I love her too much
for it to be otherwise

nothing in this world
that I'd insist upon as much

pray for with such fervor
than to have her
to commit to me
committed to me

she thought
my bare belly
her bare belly
was a beer belly
she silly

whose beer belly
would I
cover with ice cream

a dozen or so scoops
to eat off, to eat up
to lick up, to lap up

that she has a boyfriend
that she is divided,
is for me,
no laughing or light matter

tired as hell, oh God
of losing women I love

like air out of tires
like a car with flat tires

unable to go
or to get anywhere

she and I with places to go
things to get done

oh, good God, in heaven
I want the world changed

there is something
I neglected- I forgot
to hand over,
to give to her

dimes, a few I had
to place upon
her thighs bare
her bare thighs

open
with her pussy parted
for me to kiss it


© Obediah Michael Smith, 2010
Written between 2:10 p.m.
and 7:55 p.m., on Sunday,
Oct. 3, 2010