Hear me read
the poem as
an MP3 file.
Watch me read
the poem as
an MP4 file.
I wish you could have custody of me,
Complete control, with neither choice nor question,
One parent sovereign, in sole possession,
One hope, one faith, one love, one loyalty.
I long for such unstrained simplicity,
Free of calculation and concession,
The fear I might convey the wrong impression,
The willingness that saps my will-to-be.
I recognize that both of you have rights,
But I'm the child, and mine are more than yours
Since I am innocent of your dispute.
I need a home to house my ruthless nights,
A place so mine my dreams can find the doors,
One word, one will, sustained and absolute.
Copyright by Nicholas Gordon. Free for personal or non-commercial use.
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