No. I haven't missed you at all.
by Francine
DuBois
He lied, the untruth bubbling through his teeth
Like a rabid dog's froth.
He had his sledgehammer and was bludgeoning the heads of all her dolls.
But yes, he did miss her, in a way
He could not fathom -- an element of him was tied up in her
(very tightly, with an 25-ft indoor-outdoor extension cord) --
anger, yes, but all he knew about love too.
And if he lost that, if he lost her, what would he have but emptiness?
So he stopped smashing dolls heads when he saw her
And pretended to be strong.
"I'm not supposed to know about this, I can tell," she smirked
as she hugged him,
Full of manipulation. They both knew she was heading to another lover's
house.
They both knew she'd be back for dinner: he'd make meatloaf.
"You're taking such good care of me: destroying the bad parts
of my childhood
So I don't need to, so I'm not saddled with their faces." She kissed
his cheek
And skipped to the car he bought her.
He continued his work.
Francine's Version -- Hezekiah's
Version -- Inspiration
Previous Poem -- Next
Poem -- Table of Contents
