They say patience can turn a stone into a jewel
– Hafez
No!
It didn’t turn into a jewel
It isn’t a jewel, not at all
It never will be
No!
It was a stone: patience
A stone through & through
The split through my forehead
The gash across my face
The blood oozing down behind my ear
Well, patience
And he with his whip
A woman with hair on the soles of her feet
Hair sprouting from the soles of a beaten woman
Have patience
And he with his sharp nails
That rip and slash skin to pieces
And he who swallows & swallows
Always he carries his toothbrush with him
Because butterfly wings get stuck in his teeth
Patience, hey patience
And she has no hugs
Has no smiles
Knows nothing of dancing
Is hopeless at kissing
Always stashing love under the table
Such a proper pretty-pretty such a true lady
So sure she knows how to hold herself
See how she bears patience
And always she’s begging: beat me! (Oh Yes)
And when she’s been beaten: again, again! (Oh Yes)
Such a gamine for a pretty game! (Oh Yes)
And handfuls
Handfuls of stones
She’d throw at me
Throw at you
Oh she bears herself so well
If you’re beautiful she’ll say: you brute!
If tall, then it’s: o how short!
Strange lady
A knot made of patience
No!
It didn’t become a jewel
Not at all, no way
But a live tortioned knot
That of a sudden snap-died
Of its own high fever
& feverishly died
Of patience
