I was never that man,
Not the one held,
steadfast in bronze,
not the one those words
belong to,
not the one held,
by boney 14 karat
white fingers,
I saw you walk across the porch,
I saw you stumble,
I saw you nearly fall,
And just when mama reached to you,
You smiled,
As if knowing the winds
Would always hold you,
As if the seas would be
Your play puddles,
I like to think of pink dresses
Browned and you scolded
Not the first time,
I hope your love was kind,
I hope he knew tales of princes,
of knights slaying dragons,
and saving maidens,
I hope he saw
The Nile at dawn,
I hoped he understood,
What it was to be entranced,
By the spell of that magical witch,
And never wish to be free,
I hoped when he left,
You had plenty of rum and spice,
To drown the bitterness,
I hoped your heart did not fail,
But Emma,
You smile now,
Papa you say, I was never that strong,
I was always fragile,
And I did not fall, on that day,
Because I heard your whispers,
Knew I had to be carried on winds,
And spurn the seas as I jumped into puddles,
For that was the pink dress you bought.
