POEMS OF THE ROUGH TIMES: Possum

POSSUM

Watch me play possum:

Reynolds women,
my brother calls us with amusement.
Not intellectual
(although I have as many degrees
as he has),
not interested in serous study
of the Bible
(although I'm the one
with a degree in theology;
I got the A in Greek.)

Watch me play possum:

Women,
my husband says fondly.
Not much good at technical stuff,
are you?
Though I got an A in electronics,
I am the one with the ham license,
I am the one with awards
for photographs I took and processed
and he cannot run the computer
without me.

They think they know me
and what they know is not threatening
so they leave me to myself.
I hunker
in the corners of life,
overhearing it
and am content.


(Written November 26, 1991)