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Haiku Free Verse Prosies
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For E, whose last name I know now
In the beginning, there was the sea.
There was a swarm of ladybugs in the afternoon sunshine.
It was October, and the air was full of possibilities.
When I kissed you behind your ear in the bedroom upstairs,
you moaned
and I really thought it was because you wanted me
the way that I was: full-lipped, powerful
and rife with sensuality
After I’d slipped into the frame, I learned the truth.
You taught me the phrase "on top of me."
I retreated to the back of the room,
and waited,
 a reluctant flower
You said it would be better if I would just
so I tried to just
I wanted to please you,
I was open to the possibility
I tried to learn what you wanted
and I waited
Five years later,
I’m still waiting.
I miss you like I've been missing you for years,
with your little feet in the bed beside me,
with my big legs next to them, too heavy to lay across you.
I took my hands from off of you,
and waited.
All those days and weeks and months and years I've waited
for you to turn around and grab me,
to want me, to use me, to take me.
When he died,
I realized I couldn't wait anymore.
No quiero mas
No puedo mas
The little windup ladybug you bought for me is broken
it never worked quite right,
and we've never been able to fix it
It limps along on top of the microwave
We never even try to wind it up anymore
Lo siento, mi amor
Pero necessito irme
Lo siento
When you got back,
I was already gone
—Frances Donovan
July 2003
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