Chivalry
by Anne Westlund

Do you see me?
Do you even see me, standing here?
I have needs.
Worse, I have wants,
that are not getting met.

I wanted it yesterday,
a year ago.

Do I wear the Christian mantle too well?
In my blood, I’m Pagan.

This can’t wait.
Politeness sucks.

I fall on my own sword
day after day.

All you do is offer me your
clean white handkerchief.

Anne Westlund is enrolled in a Masters Program for Interfaith Studies. She lives in Western Washington, near the coast, with her family and cat, Betty Boop. Six of her poems have been published in Lifelines by the Poetic Muselings, published by Inkspotter Publishing. Five of her poems and three of her photographs have been published in the first Restoration Earth Journal published by Ocean Seminary College. Please visit the Poetic Muselings group blog at: http://poetic-muselings.net/