Tailor

When he said
When he said that he liked my cut of hair
I became a barber
When he said
When he said that my scent was Eau de Fleur
I became a perfumer
When he said
When he said that he liked the clothes I wore
I became a tailor
And I sewed a party dress—
In and out and in and out
With a needle and a thread—
In and out and in and out
In my head, the thought of him—
In and out, in and out and in
When he said
When he said he was leaving
I took up the violin
When he said
When he said that my body he’d not miss
I became a sculptress
When he said
When he said that my face he’d soon forget
I became a poet
And the fiddle and the bow—
In and out and in and out
And the chisel in the stone—
In and out and in and out
And the fountain pen—
In and out, in and out and in
Now that he’s gone away
There isn’t anyone to say
If I’m a lady gay, or a crazy woman
Now that he’s gone away
There isn’t anyone to say
If I’m a diamond or a dime a dozen
Didn’t I gleam in my father’s eye?
Who am I? Who am I?
Didn’t I split my mother’s side?
Who am I? Who am I?
Didn’t I drink her nipple dry?
Who am I?
And no one taught me how to cry
Who am I?
How to cry for what I wanted in the night
Who am I? Who am I?
And didn’t I cry and cry?
Who am I?
Who am I?