For Destiny (who needs a good teacher)

I have seen you, with the hard eyes
watching the boys shoot hoops
and not even flinching when asphalt & skin meet.

teach me.

teach me how to hold in the tide
conquer and quell and wrest back
the suprised cry
and tears.

teach me, you with the hard eyes, teach me how to suffer.

Teach me the art of the careful harvest. I do not want to share my pain
the lighting striking long lasting sharp encounters with reality.
I have hands, show me how to handle these things.
I want to hold them like you do,
careful lips pressed together, and the hard
eyes that watch
details
and learn so much, with out giving away anything.

teach me, o hard-eyed woman, teach me how to survive.