To be so tall and strong, woman, you must have steel

and grace enough to know your lovers

were not tightly laced, concealed

and the corset that bound you wasn’t a limit, but a cage

to stop them from seeing you, unstoppable.

Tigress, I wonder.

When you smiled, was it something I said,

or baring your fangs to the wolves at your door, reminder

that they should remember to bend yielding throats

before you run out of patience, and get the key

and unlock your self-imposed cage.

 

For Angela