Quotations from Charwoman Me

You never asked to be a master and God knows (if She would only say so) that I never asked to be a slave. Position papers, grocery lists rain down like ticker-tape on my long-march procession past where you cheer me on, waving from the wistful side of—let's admit it— barricades. You're tired of living without any joy. You think you're going crazy. You need my friendship. You're afraid to demand the right to be afraid. You're trying very hard. I know that, and you can't imagine how I wish it were enough. I need to sleep. I never asked for this; you never asked. Our twenty-five inch son whimpers in the night and my breasts hurt until I wake myself and feed him. He never asked for anything at all. We all want just to be a little happy. Listen, I see an older me, alone in some room, busy on the telephone dialing all my terrible truths. This thing has never let me live as we both know I might have; yet I see this thing can cut me down on some street or podium tomorrow— or just let me live, alone. Our child looks back and forth from your face into mine, and laughs. You worry about us, wondering if something within us has broken. You hold my body as if it were glass that will cut you. I'd stop this if I could, believe me, my beloved. I'm dying of bitterness. I love your forehead. Did I ever tell you that?