National Poetry Month: Lisa Mende

"Poem"

Lisa Mende

Marriage ruined my marriage he said as he plopped down

      on the seat next to mine

It snowed every night on the sheets of our bed have I met

      you before what's your name what's your sign

I'm a thinker a feeler a lover of beauty a needer of 

      moments unplanned

matrimony's a stealer it turns lust to duty and makes men

      like me feel unmanned

I admit I'm confused do you find that endearing I'm so

      easily hurt and I'm shy

I'm not scared of committing I believe in forever do you

      believe in a love at first sight

I was so unprepared when I saw you here sitting like a

      vision all bathed in white light

Marriage ruined my marriage let me buy you another why

      do romance and passion go south?

Boredom's what I disparage need a muse not a mother and

      you've got such a kissable mouth

Are your eyes really green they light up when you smile

      you're a gypsy you know that? you are

Are you bored or serene let's commune for a while what a

     mystery to find you alone in this bar

I take credit for little I'm abounding in blessing every

     move has been spiritually guided

Karma's smack in the middle so I've stopped second

     guessing because my future's already decided

I eat all my food raw and I'm chiefly a Buddhist and I

     guess my worst feature is pride

I do yoga I chant and was briefly a nudist and I'm very

     in touch with my feminine side

I have known you forever there's a deep soul connection

     don't you feel it don't fight it it's real

Every movement you make is a subtle reflection that 

     you're feeling the same things that I feel

It's a marriage of convenience we're both well aware, she

     was pregnant and I did what was right

So for us there's a lenience and I take special care 

     to tell her if I'm not coming home for the night

Tell me all about you I can tell you're artistic it's the 

    way that you dress you've got style and panache

I was once that way too but then I got realistic cut my hair

    traded stocks now I'm dripping with cash

Are you leaving don't go yet I've just gotten started it's

    early and I need your email address

Now I'm grieving we've just met and now we'll be parted I

   am dying to feel just a single caress

Put your money away there is no way you're paying I can

   write it all off for my taxes you know

Come on honey please stay what's this game you are playing 

    sit back down now you know that you don't want to go

Hey another for me you can pour her drink out I decided

    that she was too bitchy to stay

She just wasn't that hot got a million like her she can go

   fuck herself and she's probably gay.


"Poem" by Lisa Mende originally appeared online at the Word of Mouth website, March 2010. Word of Mouth is an open-mic poetry event held the first Wednesday of every month in Athens, Georgia. [Photo by Michelle Castleberry]