LESSONS IN LOVE

“You are a bitch,
Like your mother”
She said,
And I nodded
Inanely as if
I hardly understood
What she meant.

I’d recently found
Being quiet
And looking stupid
Had served me
In good stead.

Besides, I was five;
And not supposed
To get the subtleties
Involved, or the
Acid hate distilled
In her voice.

So I picked up
The ball of twine
And quietly began
To wind and wind.
After a while
She almost smiled.
“Thank you,” she said.

And that was when
I first realized:
A modicum
Of approval
Was to be had.

If I could not
Be loved
I could be
Useful
Instead.

Manuela Cardiga