Keep a man down
I got on the train line
Metro North allows bikes, I had mine.
I stood near the door, other spots occupied
I had a mountain bike, but it can road ride.
Two women got on, one had a suitcase
They sat down, looked at my haggard face.
The tall one asked why I had a mountain bike
The short one said it was faster than a hike.
Then the short one gave a self-righteous frown.
She emphatically declared "He must be kept down!"
You might ask why, you might be intrigued
But it's a long story, and I'm fatigued.
I had a history, a woman felt rejected
The truth was pathetic but never inspected.
She became a lesbian, then I interfered for her sake.
I had plenty of years to rue that mistake.
Those four words intrigue me, many a time
How bizarre motives can trap you in a design
What business have these women to diminish anyone?
To hem a man in, to filter the sun?
Some work underground, sway events from below
control beliefs, control where I go.
Funny in a way, that anyone would care
whether I rose or fell on life's transient stair.
The tall woman caressed the short one
Those four words kept hurting like bullets from a gun.
I guess people form tribes by victim ideology:
It wasn't me who owed them an apology.
The train rolled on, past shadow and light,
Her verdict hung there, it just wasn't right.
I went on my bike ride, but later events showed
That a war was waged, that nobody knowed.
Post Comments
Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.
Please
Login
to post a comment
Turn off ads, get more exposure for your poetry, and get more features with a
Premium Membership.
