A woman I know
mid-fifties
went protesting
first timer
missing out as
teenager
with strict parents
she wanted
‘self-fulfillment’
wanted understanding
of what had been
never missed
Seeing her a few
days later I
asked if she found
what she
had been seeking
“Yes and no” she
smiled,
ruefully
“I fell in with a
group of
college kids who
poured milk
on my face”
quickly adding
“for the tear gas!”
Her voice trailed.
“it wasn’t
at all
about me”
I nodded.
She beseeched
“Please tell me
that I really didn’t
go there for me”
I nodded again
“I think you did”
as she frowned
“Now, here you are.”
I concluded
We stood there
silently until a
summer breeze
kicked up dust
“Maybe you’re right”
she said, smiling
with new buoyancy
“I’m going to need
some more
goddamned milk.”
– Mark L. Lucker
© 2020
http://lrd.to/sxh9jntSbd
I found myself confused about who was doing the talking within quotes halfway through the poem. I can guess, but more clarity would be appreciated. Such an interesting truth, this meeting. Love the final line.
Hello, Waldomaui! After letting this sit for a couple of weeks, I get your comment. See if I have fixed the issue in your eyes. Thanks for taking the time. The feedback is always graciously appreciated.
Some more self fulfillment…good poem