the woman you marry

she spoke of maracas
tchaikovsky & bacchus
critiquing the coup
as a dangerous fracas

who is she, you wonder
this goddess of thunder
who seldom comes over
but never bows under

she dances, she whistles
she softens your thistles
she hopes that they won’t use
their nuclear missiles

she pines & she wishes
she feedses the fishes
she hints to you gently
to towel the dishes

she rough-sketches dancers
she focuses trancers
she shuts down tough questions
with definite answers

she carves & she whittles
she hashes mean victuals
the rich & the famous
she blithely belittles

she surges, she hastens
she sorts seedless raisins
she calls out for pizza
for plumbers & masons

she files & she ratchets
she buries the hatchets
she boosts tiny tims
and engooses bob cratchets

she contacts & touches
she cradles & clutches
she gives out in littles
but takes back in muches

she cuts & she shuffles
in late march she snuffles
she goes out for mushrooms
but comes back with truffles

she chickens, she livers
she canyons & rivers
she quickly picks up
what she slowly delivers

she twigs & she savvies
she tories and lavvies
she salts down the tars
& entrenches the navvies

she sees through your ruses
& combs out your mooses
she seems to think even
your faults have their uses

she cuffs & she fetters
she worsts & she betters
she miscarries numbers
& silences letters

she cools, she refreshes
your screens she unmeshes
at christmas she dusts off
& lights up the crêches

she seals and she otters
she parboils the waters
she unfloods the brothers
but dams up the daughters

she burs & she rankles
she diesels & wankels
she trusses up oedipus
rex by the ankles

she struts & she poses
she uncoils your hoses
she speaks well of florists
with odd-colored roses

she stammers, she stutters
she boils & she butters
nobody is certain
she means what she utters

she fawns & she flatters
she sputters & spatters
her mind cannot focus
on sensitive matters

she parries, she slashes
your turnips she mashes
she tends to your fevers
& weeps at your rashes

she leafs & she pages
her book never ages
she seldom collects
on another man’s wages

she upsets, she steadies
she pilots the eddies
in vain might you seek
to undo what she readies

in spaces she shuttles
in fishtanks she cuttles
on tv she withers
dan rather’s rebuttals

she babies & sissies
she manners & missies
she wonders what joyce meant
by writing ulysses

she heartily humbles
she tastefully tumbles
in some seats she loves
but in others she rumbles

she lads & she lassies
she tinnies and brassies
she slams down your hoods
& checks under your chassis

she blotches, she mottles
she daubs & she wattles
she carefully rinses
returnable bottles

she dervishly dizzies
she bustlely busies
she whirlingly woodies
& diddies & izzies

she soaps & she bubbles
she trebles & doubles
an ed she might norton
but barneys she rubbles

she goodies, she baddies
she clubs her own caddies
she reels in the sporrans
of incautious laddies

she ifs & confuses
but hardly abuses
she may say she offers
but you know she chooses

she fusses, she cossets
she fills up your closets
she loosens your neckties
& tightens your faucets

she kicks & she freezes
she floats on your breezes
she fuses your tofu
with pasteurized cheeses

she coupons, she rations
she fruits & she passions
she dresses your words
in preposterous fashions

she foxes, she weasels
she canvasses easels
she russians & polishes
low german measles

she crayons, she pencils
she scours utensils
she labels your tables
with yoghurt & stencils

she hawks & she eagles
she leashes fierce beagles
she upgrades your princelies
to unabashed regals

she christians, she pagans
she twists & she fagins
she troubles the naps
of the bushes & reagans

she bites & she scratches
she plays with long matches
she breaks in your doors
despite all of your latches

she flosses, she brushes
you hate when she rushes
she smiles when you stammer
you cringe when she flushes

she jigs & she dadoes
she scrubs your potatoes
you might say bahamas
but she hears barbados

she labors, she studies
your throw-rugs she muddies
she chastens your friends
& exposes your buddies

she hymns & she shakers
she oats & she quakers
she measures cathedrals
& silos by acres

she buttons, she stitches
she patches your britches
she dumps your old t-shirts
in gullies & ditches

she dwindles, she tapers
she mummifies capers
she launders on sunday
while reading your papers

she waters & dredges
& trims all your hedges
you sharpen your points
but she dulls all your edges

you long for her kisses
& conjugal blisses
she rarely takes aim
but she seldomer misses

she showers, she sprinkles
she squirrels & minkles
she tacks twenty years
onto sleepy van winkles

she sands what she spackles
she flies what she tackles
she asks you to purr
after raising your hackles

she tells off her cousins
& aunts by the dozens
she mixes her izzens
& werens with wuzzins

she maddens, she crazes
she mists & she hazes
she follows the moon
through its difficult phases

she wanes & she waxes
she duties & taxes
she buries your office
in overlong faxes

she lectures, she teaches
she peels & pits peaches
she yawns while the congressmen
polish their speeches

she curls & she crickets
on unlikely wickets
she burns up your popcorn
& scalps off your tickets

she bracelets, she lockets
she shores up your pockets
she raises your countdown
& unskies your rockets

she quiets & shushes
she waits in the bushes
she claims that you pull
all the while that she pushes

she funnels, she beakers
she heckles guest speakers
she capsizes boaters
& waterproofs sneakers

she hardens, she cinches
she pussyfoots inches
she separates lovebirds
with hydraulic winches

she plucks & she feathers
aparts & togethers
she scales & weighs fish
in the foulest of weathers

she seconds the hours
& petals the flowers
she leaves you in pickles
and stems your hot showers

she scatters, she gathers
she squeegees, she lathers
on sundays in concord
she cottons & mathers

she tugs & she barges
retreats & recharges
her view of the world
almost never enlarges

she puffs & collapses
in methodist apses
she unmelons waters
& unberries raspses

she blubbers, she sniggers
she cowers & piggers
she fleeces the sheep
of their facks & their figgers

your motives she guesses
& boldly confesses
she knows of your sallies
& lucies & besses

she irons & creases
your nephews & nieces
she ruins your jigsaws
by losing key pieces

your inner & outer
are often about her
you hope you may not have
to live long without her

(... the woman you marry)
12-24 May 1994