Sun listed on one shoulder; shadow on the other
The feeling of hot and cold reminded me of Mother
I marveled that I could love whilst hating what she’d done
The love was for all ages; the hate while I was young
In a house loud with bitter argument, I could bet every dime
If there was a side to take--the side she chose would not be
mine
She’d sidle stealthily into my room, patting faintly at my ire
The intent to damp the flame; the result to fan the fire
An intervention: an attempt to teach me not to goad the
beast
But I needed understanding; commiseration at the very least
I know she wanted to prevent an outright conflagration
But she destroyed my faith in a safe family foundation
Her concerns were immediate… avert any burst of violence
So hide the misogyny and chauvinism beneath a blanket of
silence
Pretending everything was just fine, as it sometimes was
Pleading with me to ignore the source, the hatred and the cause
Yet, it was more than that: she believed in the status quo
Accepted her position, fought to maintain and not to grow
To her I was wrong to challenge, as though I challenged her
To protect the basis of her life, the right way was the way
things were
