You Kill My Love for Your Love For Me Kills Me - Eliza Galaher
My mom's a maniac
And she's making me one, too
three four
A while I thought things might
be getting better
Not jump the gun
Bang
Don your carapace, Mom
'S baby sent a photo
At your request
Pretty little snapshot
S in the air
Over oceans
Landing in your bougainvillea
Bush plucking
Petals for a lei
For my arrival
Is delayed
Mom
Mom?
Mom?!?
A kiss and a hug, Mom!
A kiss and a hug!
A kiss and a hugging
The curves of 80 East
On my way back from Lancaster
Just under
One year
Since I've slept with another
Woman to woman
Talk Mom
I'm in love
I'm in love
Poetry
Is the way
I want to say
Something to you
Her
Voice is beautiful
Postcards
Sent from Brooklyn
Could not compete
With the way you
Love me
Please
Just love me Mom
Where'd I go wrong
It was the haircuts
I gave you
A photo
'Cause you
Asked for one
More move like that Eliza
And you'll kill me
Mom
You'll kill me with
A postcard
Sent from Brooklyn would be nice
If she could write
One short note-
Ing my haircut
she said
Can I touch
Your hair
Falls onto the porch
As I snip snip
At your request
The closest we get to touching, Mom
Is your scissors in my hands
Ache for human contact
Lacking that I fill my days
With errands to the photo
Booth
Two dollars for you
Asked me for a photo
And I consent
Twirl the stool to
Eye level
With me Mom
You're scared to death of Eliza
Smiles a good smile
For Mom
I wanted her to call just to say
You know what?
I think you're beautiful
Women fill my mind
If I send you a photo
of me Mom
A concentration camp victim
Like a dyke
Like a man
Starts singing as I walk by
And I hit her
And I hit her
And I hit
Her one hour of kindness is more
Than you've given me in 28 years
Old and you still don't look like
Me
Me
Me, Mom!
That's me in the photograph
S lay sprawled on your floor
Is covered with photographs
Lay sprawled on your floor
Is covered with photographs
Lay sprawled on your floor
Is covered with photographs
Of a baby
Smiling for the camera
She is sweet
She is two
She is smiling up at you
As you take the shot
By your daughter
You don your carapace, Mom
I only wanted you to
Love me Mom
I only wanted you to love
Your baby
'S 28
Years old and I
Keep waiting for some kind of sign-
ed my letter
With a snapshot
And sent it off to Hawaii
'S filled with beautiful flowers
Bougainvillea
Sacaranda
Oleander
Birds
Of Paradise
Is a word gone sour
Over used
To think
You loved me for who I am
Going to see her
Soon and maybe she'll love me
In some kind of way
Before I knew I was a lesbian
I knew I loved you
Loved me weigh
The pros and cons:
Love me and I'll love you
Don't love me and I'll love you
just breathe.