Conversations with the floor
are better than discussion with you
For one thing, the floor only hits once
and never when I'm already down
For another, the floor breaks my fall
once it breaks my bones
Instead of making my fall and breaking me
The floor doesn't lie when it's mad
speak in a soft voice
beckon invitingly -
then strike
It holds me after punsihment
reassuring me that it won't hurt me
as long as I stay near
and unlike you
the floor means it
true the whole world over
from concrete in your basement
to the carpet in mine
across different species -
dust and pavement
and sand
But if you promise I'm safe tonight
I can't walk from man to man
and expect equal treatment among them
and I can't expect you'll take me back again
without breaking my legs this time
for walking away
And them my arm
for daring to haul myself up the stairs
My nose
because you never liked the way it looked
And then my skull
for harboring traitorous thoughts
like
I might be better off
alone