My Mama Said

My mama told me not to trust men like you.

Godless heathen.

"You don't trust a thin man.
They're hungry." My mama told me
how to lie. "Keep it simple."

Godless heathen.

You don't trust curved thumbs or curved
lips unless they're a girl's. "He
doesn't miss anything," she said.
"He's a jew -- it'll pass."

Godless heathen. My mama

told me how to lie. "Keep it
simple." I used this everyday.
When we parted, I executed
my studied phrase, the aloof
goodbye -- love you. If I had
said it the way I'd meant it, you
would have seen my hunger, my
curved mind, lips -- everything taut
(and curved). It's easy to rip
cellophane. It's stretched so
evenly. It's gratifying to pull
it apart. My mama told me

not to trust men like
you --

Godless heathen.

She taught me how to lie and
everyday I'd lie, carefully, casually
-- see you later -- love you.

Copyright Louise Robertson