zero emotion attached?
And why, when she says,
Oh, no! That’s terrible!
do I respond, “Her fault, really.
The only guys she ever invites
into her life are felons, failed
AAers, and other assorted losers”?
And why, when she says, But
no woman deserves to be hit,
do I dare voice my opinion
that, “Not true. Some women
damn well beg for it”? I bite
down on the copper taste of anger.
Nikki takes a step back,
as if I might think she had
damn well begged for it.
But I could never hurt her.
So why, oh why, when she
asks, How can you be so cold?
do I walk toward Nikki, flexing
my fingers? “Look. If Kristina
doesn’t kill herself, some guy
will probably do it for her.”
And why, when she says,
You are just plain mean,
do I let loose a tsunami? “And
you know what? If something
bad did happen to Kristina,
I’m not sure I would care.”
Disbelief floods her eyes.