Shut Up and Listen

[miyako73]

You wanted me to dance.
I got up from my bed
Naked and battered,
Swayed my bony arms,
And gyrated my big hips.

You wanted me to sing.
I rolled an old newspaper
As my cordless microphone,
Stood on the chair,
And unleashed my song.

You wanted me to shout.
I went to the bathroom,
Sealed the windows
With towels and tapes,
And wore out my burnt lungs.

You wanted me to whistle.
I loosened my gums,
Curled my lips and tongue,
And blew air again and again
Until I heard a faint one.

You wanted me to cry.
I recalled my mother's letter,
Thought of a saddest poem,
And imagined a crying face
With my mole and my cheeks.

You wanted me to laugh.
I watched a toothless clown,
Scratched my callused soles,
And tickled my waist and belly
As I forced my giggle to roar.

You wanted me to live.
I cooked fish, beans, and rice,
Ate fruits and green broccoli,
And drank glasses of water
Instead of beer and wine.

Now you want me to die.
Let me talk to a prisoner,
To a beggar on the street,
To a prostitute I know
Before I will listen to you.