a footnote
at the bottom
of your page
I’m a star
taking center stage
a Napoleon Bonaparte
that only brightens with age

I won’t be
leftovers
you place
in the microwave
no Hors d'oeuvres
or strawberry preserves
I’m a smorgasbord
fit for only a lord

I won’t be
an ornament
you hang
on the tree
dangling on a wire
I’m a raging
forest fire

I won’t be
hushed
this woman
has guts
and won’t be
brushed away!