Quotations from Charwoman Me

By Robin Morgan

You never asked to be a master

and God knows (if She would only say so)

that I never asked to be a slave.

Position papers, grocery lists

rain down like ticker-tape on my long-march procession

past where you cheer me on,

waving from the wistful side of—let's admit it—

barricades.

You're tired of living without any joy.

You think you're going crazy.

You need my friendship.

You're afraid to demand the right

to be afraid.

You're trying very hard.

I know that, and you can't imagine

how I wish it were enough.

I need to sleep.

I never asked for this;

you never asked.

Our twenty-five inch son

whimpers in the night

and my breasts hurt until I wake myself

and feed him.

He never asked for anything at all.

We all want just to be a little happy.

Listen, I see an older me, alone

in some room, busy on the telephone

dialing all my terrible truths.

This thing has never let me live

as we both know I might have; yet I see

this thing can cut me down

on some street or podium tomorrow—

or just let me live, alone.

Our child looks back and forth

from your face into mine, and laughs.

You worry about us, wondering if

something within us has broken.

You hold my body as if it were glass

that will cut you.

I'd stop this if I could, believe me, my beloved.

I'm dying of bitterness.

I love your forehead.

Did I ever tell you that?

Copyright Credit: Robin Morgan, "Quotations from Charwoman Me" from Monster. Copyright © 1972 by Robin Morgan. Reprinted by permission of Robin Morgan.

Source: Monster (Random House, Inc., 1972)