You My Saltwater Pearl

You my saltwater pearl,

my mother, my father,

my bastard child,

heaven and hurt,

you my slavery of sadness,

my wrinkled heart.

Little coin of my eye,

my tulip, my tin cup,

my woman, my boy,

to keep and be kept by,

to rankle and rile.

Take me like a boy,

hurt me a little. Make me cry.

I’m your milk and honey.

Your Nebuchadnezzar.

Your ziggurat of pleasure.

Your thumbprint of grief.

I’ll be hashish.

The put aside not-for-sale

item for the maharaja,

vulgar as a Liz Taylor jewel.

Your Taj Mahal.

Please me. I’ll pet you,

terrorize and take you.

Mother of my heart,

bastard child,

sweet mama, sweet daddy,

my saltwater pearl.