Poor Girl
Poor Girl
Original Text
Natalee Caple, A More Tender Ocean (Toronto: Coach House Books, 2000): 34.
1If you had a woman in the grave with you would your hands be rough?
2And if you spilt beer on the blouse of a woman who was afraid of birds
3and alone in a bar how would your words reassure her?
4And if she started to cry and said that she was dying would you lay her
5down upon the floor and kiss her hair?
6Her long black hair so soon to disappear and her white stomach with
7her wet blouse pulled out from the band of her skirt.
8And if she said, 'I'm dying. Make love to me in front of your friends'.
9How would you begin?
RPO poem Editors
Ian Lancashire
RPO Edition
2011
Rhyme
Form
Special Copyright
Copyright © Natalee Caple and used by permission of the poet. Authorization to republish this poem must be obtained from her in writing.