Hopping along in six inch heels, angling toward a mirror
A little Asian woman, must have weighed six ounces, coming near
Followed by a white guy, who held a **** party dress
His eyes were all on her in those shoes, and she spoke little English
I saw her distress, and the power this man seemed to have
And I could only think of one thing, ease her imbalance, make her a little glad
"Comfy?" I asked as she struggled and hopped in front of me
She mumbled and shook her head, but then there was that big "he"
"Looks to me like he likes those shoes more than you,"
The untinted greys in my hair flashing,
I could see she was doing whatever he wanted, afraid, wanting to look attractive
I see girls trying to walk around downtown in shoes eighty miles high
but at least they speak English and they're not potential purchase brides.
"Can you dance in those shoes?" he asked  and she shook and mumbled no
So he backed down, and off did those shoes go
Later I saw him buying her dress and a little bag
While she looked at Hello Kitty watches behind the ***** case of glass
He didn't buy her mile high shoes, and I breathed a sigh of relief
She may be in a precarious situation, but at least she'll have her feet.

Cat, Mouse
Beach, Sand
Cookies, Milk
Coffee Bar, Toilet

For as long as there has been a cerebral cortex, there has been teaching
Humans, even the dumbest among us, for knowledge we are reaching
But somethings happened to the state of our education
And I speak from experience, in the trenches of our education nation
Something is wrong, something must be done, the war cry began
Teachers were fired, and some couldn't get up again.
Schools went their separate ways, like fighting friends
Some took up the new approaches like the latest fashion trends
Skinny jeans now, but bell bottoms were all the rage I remember when
Then there were the school takeovers by the State and army then
School became a grind, of test scores and dead students filling in bubbles
And that's pretty much where we're at, and still, yeah, there's troubles.

I could think of many swear words to express my
profound distress at the need to work again
Such a normal thing to have to do and yet
I turn against me
I'd rather be doing other things,
Wouldn't we all?
Your words still wound me and I'm supposed to forget them
What a tough time this is
All my flaws suddenly turn technicolor
They're all I see, all my mother would see
You have taken her place and I want you to love me
What a joke. Really when I can walk on water she will love me.
And so will you.  But those moments that filled me with rapture
I had your positive attention, and I was was floating.
It was an illusion.  I was the one forgiving my flaws
I was the one suddenly appreciating me
I was the one feeling useful and worthy
You were just standing there, giving me a flash
of your time and no more because you are basically stingy
So today, I felt like such a loser but I asked a cute swim coach
about the Master's work-outs and I could join
Me who only swims because of a lifetime of bad knees
But there are men of all ages thrashing about in the pool
Walking out for the world to see in the Speedos
And I look up for a breath of a breastroke and I see what lies underneath the lycra
So, honestly, it would be a social, healthy, motivating kind of thing
If I am worthy of it, if I can forgive my out of shapeness and lack of technique
The men, bare chested, some with hair, some not, all nearly naked
swimming back and forth and then chattering about their man lives
One more piece of motivation

I want to look at it, pose with it
take pictures as I caress it and aim, wearing very little
Feeling very ****, especially if it wasn't loaded
It would bring me such excitement,
but ultimately, I'd get bored, and there it would lie
amidst all the other junk that once got me high

is supposed to be lonely and scary and empty
but at this stage in my life, being alone
is like building myself up from within
I crave this time, like I've run a marathon
without a drink
and it is so satisfying

Who has power of me
is an illusion
my father bought me a box when I was maybe eight,
that made a hologram
you could reach inside and try to pick up a rainbow
your fingers smashed together, unsatisfied
He is that rainbow, his power is so limited over me
It's me who gives him more
All the he's and even she's I gave myself over to
skin turned inside out, a ****** offering
and I don't have to do that
I can keep my skin on, and be safe, in the space around me.