Poem for Attrition/ I work the Temp. agencies/ I am sweet sixteen

• I SIT IN CHURCH DURING MY LUNCH breaks/my head is in my hands. I dream of a husband/I AM sixteen and afraid of being alone in later life. I GO to Tucson and meet Steve. I WAIT FOUR YEARS for him to call. We have six babies /constant as the sun/ I keep them safe in a small room. NOW they are afraid and sit in church with their heads down / i HOLD THEM TIGHT / they cry about injustice / they want toy/ Igive them sticks and cloth / send them to wor

  k in the restaurants / STEVE DRIVES THEM AROUND IN OLD CARS/this love story goes on and on into the fifth dimention / I WANT TO BE IMMERSED IN WATER and buy a babypool for the backyard/ WE UP AND LEAVE iNDIANA AND RUN THE HILLS OF little Itay/N.Y.we polish the floor and sleep on a mat/ I WAIT FOR you on the stairs /money falling out of your pockets / The paintings snug on a rolling cart / You are happy with our new life / but we have falklen asleep one too many times on our feet / Our eyes have saeen enough / The whole cityknows you as the man who can't be stopped/we quit our jobs and move to the Bronx / now we dream about death / nO ONE CAN WAKE US / WE ARE frozen in the apartment /our necks snapped.