Who are these women
or the men who made them so
the women at home
while the husband’s gone to work
the women who catch
every speck of dust
that’s settled overnight
then go into the kitchen
to re-wash everything
and arrange the food
for later
and collect the clothes
to wash
and straighten everywhere
and make the beds
and deal with children
if there are any
and sit and drink
coffee with women friends
because their lives
are empty and so full
of waiting
and then the man of the house
comes back for food
prepared and served
to specification
and the question
“How was your day?”
and the same answer
“The same”
and then the filling of the time
before bed
and then bed
opening her legs
on her back in the dark
and then daylight
for another day
where are those women now
they’ve changed
grown beyond
and not enough
of the men
have grown beyond
and changed as well