The Rape
At the edge of an apple orchard he pulled the motor cycle
off the road and with great gentleness that showed
devout understanding and much love kicked the stand down
and unbuttoned his leather coat
in the rich afternoon sky above us colors ran like
assorted flavours of icecream
O there is beauty in the perfection some people seek
in the desolate ruins of their thoughts and actions
and against a background of apple trees the exotic smell
of central france blowing between the leaves and fruits
floating thru the air heavy with chagall images
he called me over to his side
his adult frame all edges and angles cutting up my shadow
like a paper doll ---- it was just then
that he grabbed me by the neck and wrestled me down
onto the dry flat grass that smelled of jasmine
O of his mutterings and chants could be written many things
as he held me tight to the ground like a young girl
my arms flapping at the side of my seventeen years
like wings of a chicken
it was then in that swift cold moment I felt the softness
of the rock beside me and how well it fitted into my palm
with my first thrust I felt his grip weaken
I wanted to impress upon him my great discomfort and distress
the shock of what he was trying to do to me without my consent
the second blow threw him like a kick
and as I struggled to my feet I hit him again
out of reflex or hate over the years I have never bothered
to ask myself
and hanging low in the tense air as ripe as red apples
was the smell of blood and sweat
and for a moment
I almost forgot
mistook the shape of anger
as pleasure
I almost harvested the season
of enough
beyond the place of stop.
Page(s) 4
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