Mirror

IGNORANCE


I'm at the theaters.
The young couple in front of me
begin to argue loudly
-something about a friend.
He's mad,
and she's trying not to put up with it
anymore.
With fire in his eyes,
he grabs her arm,
twisting her into squeals of pain.
My heart lurches.
(Please don't do that.)
She turns around,
staring into me.
'It's all OK,'
she says, trying to force a smile
between tears.
But her eyes...
Her eyes are begging me to help her
...somehow.
"I want to help you,"
I think to myself
in silence,
"but I am too weak."
The boy was hardening her into rawhide,
and I never said a word.


DENIAL

He's mad at me again.
I keep forgetting.
I really need to stop forgetting.
He's yelling,
and all I want to do is make it stop.
Oh no...
I told him something.
Why do I always have to stand up for myself?
Let go of me.
PLEASE,
just let go of me!
The people behind us are worrying!
I must look at them...
...must make them know that I'm OK!
It hurts.
Please, it hurts.
Nononononono.
Oh, please stop apologizing.
It's OK.
I know you didn't mean it.
You love me,
you really do.
I'm sorry I'm so aggravating.
How hard it must be for you
to put up with me.
We can just sit here,
together,
and watch the movie.
I won't even say a word.