COLD HUMAN GAME.

A WOMAN AND HER MAN.

Rooney says you weren’t
To go out unless
He gave permission,

But what do you care
What schmucks like him say,
You’d had enough of

That kind of pushing
Around since you were
A kid, and besides

Where did he get off
Saying what you could
Or couldn’t do, you’d

Show him, you’d give him
The big elbow and
Go find someone who

Knows how to treat a
Lady and doesn’t
Mind if she smokes and

Drinks and listens to
Hot jazz and wears her
Dresses a little

Short and likes to chat
Up the guys just for
A laugh and loves to

Go to bed with a
Good book if not
A good feller and

If no guy shows then
You make do with just
Nothing, just you and

A good book and your
Teddy bear and a
Large glass of booze and

If Rooney thinks he
Can shove you around
Then he’s in for a

Big surprise, the last
Guy who tried to push
You around had his

Teeth pushed to one side
And you remember
Your mother always

Taking it, never
Complaining and the
Old man coming in

With the black dog of
A mood, laying her
Down and out and you

Looking down from the
Stairs wondering if
All men were the same,

If it was all part of
Some weird dark circus,
Some cold human game.

Reviews

[just rose.]

I think you do a brilliant job here of situating the reader both in history and in individual self-hood, clearly our flapper here is not embracing the status quo and is subverting the dominant paradigm, allowing the strength of her true self to shine through. Good for her. Thanks to women like her we're all a little further along the road.

[suraj]

ok .. this was really interesting .. it caught me by surprise, i didnt expect it to get so deep .. but it was really good all the same .. cheers :)