Like a person

You made me feel like a person.

With hands to read,
legs to stroke,
breasts to hold,
and eyes to be seen.

Someone with feelings
and words to give meaning.
A brain
to understand,
to be understood.

You made me feel like a person again.
Not just the one
who takes the children to school,
pays part of the mortgage,
cooks,
keeps the dishes clean.

Unimportant, you say?
Understand, you say?
Love, you say?

You don’t realize
you leave me
more needy,
more wanting,

more dependent,

more alone.

So I take it back:
all of what's mine:
the eyes, the legs, the hands, the breasts.

I'll think with my brain
before I give again.


Tineke Van der Eecken (Western Australia)