I was the fat lady dressed
Like a bumble bee in my warm
Up clothes, front row
At the gym, where I threw
Hooks so fast they nearly nailed
The mirror. I have always been my own
Enemy, and though I do not look
Myself in the eye, I know how to land
A punishing blow or two. I float
Under the weight of my own worried mind
And sting at thoughts that hover there.
Ali, where have you gone? I need a man
To write my name on the mattress and stand
Up for me, or beside, to carve my name
Against the fierce dark night, to cheer
When I am down for the count
Laid low and bloody by the everyday
Opponents of this life.