is what he called me

mucker has to have

a name for everyone

& cheerfully that was mine

he’d fling words out

accusations gossip

provocative statements

i’d wait for explanations

giving out uh huhs & ok’s

not ever buying in

to his bullshit

watching him play with people

manipulating his way through

hot knife into fridge butter

him thinking he was

god of all he surveyed

& me? a fool of a man

who listened but never

asked any questions

he learned to leave me alone

numb nuts in the corner

watching children play

good today as yesterday