Sal

he ordered me to do what 
i would have done anyway 

i knew it as did he but always 
he had to order it 

so that he could tell himself 
he was with a woman who wanted him 

that this breast was a woman’s 
breast               it was a slave’s 

who did not give           who was 
taken              he felt no pleasure 

here     no deep desire 
though well there could have been 

he had to order me and 
i made it master and thing 

it was my only power 
and i used it