One Minute
They tell me
I have only one seat
In his home.
In the estimation
of the elders
my womb is cheap
and weak.
There will no naming
ceremony for
my third daughter
If there is no
male child soon
my maid may
become my mate.
One minute
the sky is bright silver
my hands flash
over the keyboards
in concert with
the muse
images of
peace.
Then
suddenly
clouds darken
birds take shelter
then crack
like mortar shots
the rain descends.
I scurry quickly
for bowls
to take the
leaks from
the roofs.