Odalisque

they’ve come to find you odalisque
as the light dies horribly
on a fire escape you walk
all rare and resolved to drop
and when they find you odalisque
they will rend you terribly
stitch from stitch til all
your linen and limbs will fall
lazy lady had a baby girl
and a sweet sound it made
raised on pradies, peanut shells and dirt
in the railroad culdesac
and what do we with 10 baby shoes
a kit bag full of marbles
and a broken billiard cue? what do we do?
what do we do?
fifteen stitches will mend those britches right
and then rip them down again
sapling switches will rend those rags alright
what a sweet sound it makes
and what do we do with 10 dirty jews
a thirty-ought full of rock salt
and a warm afternoon? what do we do?
what do we do?
lay your belly under mine
you’re naked under me, under me such a filthy dimming shine
the way you kick and scream, kick and scream
and what do we do with ten baby shoes
a kit bag full of marbles
and a broken billiard cue? what do we do?
what do we do?
lazy lady had a baby girl, and a sweet sound it made