Yes, dear, sticks in my throat.
Do you hear me choking on the
Small short syllables, two to be exact.
I would like to spit them out.
Yes, dear, is not a lesson in
Independence but a submission.
Say it girl to keep the peace.
Is this an easy lesson in humility?
Proud, stubborn, defiant.
I have said, yes, dear, one too many times
To make it real, authentic, meaningful,
A term of agreement.
Yes, dear, comes easier when it’s
Lip service and swallowing
Hard is no longer a bitter pill.
Do you see that acrid smile?
Does he ever say, yes, dear?
Not as I can tell.
Perhaps it is a whisper on the wind
So faint that only an apparition can hear it.
Or perhaps it is God speaking in tongues.
Perhaps he mutters it under breath
A reminder that his mother
Demanded something submissive, like
Say, yes, Ma’am, you listen to me now.
Perhaps he married his mother,
Or turned me into her, as the
Partnership became one of
Power and control, out of control.
Ah, the sweet sound of yes, dear
Is music to the ears of those in love
And when love fades,
Then what?
Spot on! Those phony honorifics sir and ma'am, yes, dear. Grrrrr