Pamela Fraker

her face was glowing
her eyes alive and dancing but lit dimly-only by anger

"if this is about being angry," I thought, "then we have already lost"

who reduced this to a war on THEM and a compulsive obsession with our sex?

I had always wanted more

she stole my movement
co-opted the dreams held safe for my daughter

And, maybe accidentally,
her face grew dark and shut mine out.
(wasn't she my ally?)

she became my new THEM

each
fueled by a desire to seek something inferior to equality
each
propelled by a need to indulge in something much less pure than hope

and on my left, his face dirty with desire
and on my right, hers ugly with anger

both blind to the aspiration glowing from mine