Submissions by caustic

he touched her
my woman,
he touched her, she said, but
he wouldn't
not with me right downstairs
not with people there
not when she was sick from too much booze
needing to lie down, he
wouldn't
under covers
up her leg
tell her
exactly what he was doing
got to be lines crossed or something, i've
known the guy since knee high
fought alongside him
mentor type, he taught me old school
how to be a tough one
picked up for me
cracked if i was hurt, he
needed me
when his wife fucked off
when...

fuck your petrified bimbo blonde futility...    
puke-worthy pastel versions    
of the virgin colours of poetry    
that shield your wide-open brains from all the other  
guts and filth    
baking on the sidewalks.    
   
ungrateful, desperate for more and more    
always more and new;    
   
who the hell are you?    
justify, now, the space you take up    
   
but not to me.    
   
bless your vacuous heart, you love beauty;    
half-assed attempt to cherish what's given, earned    
all...

I half watch her
tip-tappiting at the keys
tip-tappiting further into herself
or away
 
and I like how if I even say a word
the humanity breaks that tip-tappiting  
of the keys, distracts her momentarily
to look this way  
 
to where  
I have nothing to say  
really
but it's good to see her not scowling
once in a while.