at 4:30 AM
she rose
movin the arms & legs that trapped her
she sighed affirmin the sculptured man
& made herself a bath
of dark musk oil egyptian crystals
& florida water to remove his smell
to wash away the glitter

to watch the butterflies melt into

suds & the rhinestones fall beneath

her buttocks like smooth pebbles

in a missouri creek

layin in water

she became herself

ordinary

brown braided woman

with big legs & full lips

reglar

seriously intendin to finish her

night’s work

she quickly walked to her guest

straddled on her pillows & began

 

 

                  ‘you’ll have to go now/ i’ve

                  a lot of work to do/ & i cant

                  with a man around/ here are yr pants/

                  there’s coffee on the stove/ its been

                  very nice/ but i cant see you again/

                  you got what you came for/ didnt you’

& she smiled

he wd either mumble curses bout crazy bitches

or sit dumbfounded

while she repeated

                  ‘i cdnt possibly wake up/ with

                   a strange man in my bed/ why

                   dont you go home’

she cda been slapped upside the head

or verbally challenged

but she never waz

& the ones who fell prey to the

dazzle of hips painted with

orange blossoms & magnolia scented wrists

had wanted no more

than to lay between her sparklin thighs

& had planned on leavin before dawn

& she had been so divine

devastatingly bizarre the way

her mouth fit round

& now she stood a

reglar colored girl

fulla the same malice

livid indifference as a sistah

worn from supportin a wd be hornplayer

or waitin by the window

                              & they knew

                              & left in a hurry

she wd gather her tinsel &

jewels from the tub

& laugh gayly or vengeful

she stored her silk roses by her bed

& when she finished writin

the account of her exploit in a diary

embroidered with lilies & moonstones

she placed the rose behind her ear

& cried herself to sleep.