What I Deserve

Daydreaming on my walk to work,
Of a resourced man who
Sees me,
What I’ve lived through
And what I’ve built from it;
He wants to uplift me.

In my chest, there is air and light;
I know I am deserving.

I shed a proud tear by a fountain,
And then the grief closes in on my throat,

The only time you said I was deserving
Of anything
Was right before you got off into my belly.

Do you think I deserved all those tears
Shed into the toilet?

Because I didn’t.

What I did deserve
Was the woman who saw me crying
& asked if I’m okay.

Yes, ma’am.
I am now.