(For Nicole Marie)
_____by T E Vaughner

Before

Tall girl, chocolate brown
Skin like silk
Smile so infrequent I thought
I had imagined it

My girl, chocolate brown
Body like stone wrapped in cotton
Touches so infrequent I thought
I had imagined them

Lover girl, chocolate brown
Fingers like an oilrig drilling for every last drop
Whispers so soft I thought
I had imagined them

Coming closer, knowing you, letting you know me
Making plans, spending time
Trying to understand why we feel the way we do
Afraid it might not work, afraid that it will
Holding on for dear life, holding on to dear each other

After

Cancer is like an uninvited guest with no home training

Knocking on your door late at night,
Don't matter you curled up next to your honey

Eating all your food,
Don't matter if you ain't ate yet

Wearing your last pair of clean draws,
Don't matter if you 'bout to leave the house

Coming up on your job and calling you out in front of your co-workers,
Don't matter if you got to work with them people

Taking a shit on the toilet but don't flush,
Don't matter if it stink

Yeah, cancer is like an uninvited guest with no home training
And that bitch trying her best to take my baby away from me

Copyright © 1999. Used by permission of author. All Rights Reserved.