I Had a Man

Today when I was walking 

I had a man tell me as he passed

That I was a white bitch (he was white)

And to not look at him

Or he was going to “fuck me in my little butthole”

I wandered away

Who is to say

I think I am a white bitch

My butt is big

But I believe my butthole is little

This violence that we put on women

I don’t think it’s crazy

Someone I know said

“Oh, that man was crazy”

I don’t think he was crazy

Maybe he could tell I had a look in my eye

That wasn’t crazy anymore

Maybe he could feel the wild cool blood in me

And it frightened him

Maybe he knew I was the same as him

But had been born with this kind face and eyes

Doughlike appurtenances

What about the day I left

What happened then

Dark bird barreling down upon me

In the gentle air, to take me in his beak

Pink and patterned house

Never-ending sister speech

To go along the coaster and never return

To never repeat

Did that one bitter eye know I have a voice

To say what my words have done to me

That unkind wind that blew through my brain

With no thought of me

Just to still the jungle animals

Just to feed the endless clearing

The giant

Green and simple

Face of the sea

Dorothea Lasky