sometimes

She should be
one person,
one person,
one mind not two,
not seven
or twenty
or a hundred and two,
she needs a clear focus
to make up her mind
she can't have it all
needs to
just tow the line

Better not wonder
what if she said "No"
she should not
imagine
both ways she could go
better
buck up
better fall into place
get everything done
with a smile on her face

Its dangerous, yes,
they all let her know
if her voices don't gather
like ducks in a row
if one of them hops
or two
or a ton
the river of yeses
it just
isn't done.

But some
times when she's
sleeping
or cooking alone
sometimes when she doodles
won't answer the phone
sometimes
when she tiptoes
into the next room
where dishes aren't waiting
and saxophones swoon
she imagines them dancing
these voices
within:
a foxtrot,
a waltz,
one sambas and spins,
she imagines they're lovely
with dandelion eyes
and petticoat junctions
as wide as the skies
they're twirling
and swaying
not a care in the world
all wonderful
parts of a
gorgeous young girl

who still can love rainbows
red orange
and green,
yellow,
blue violet
all colors between
the light
that refracts them
now that is
one mind
but the dancers
and colors
they're one hundred and nine

In the morning
she'll wake up
maybe feel
like a queen
or a sorceress's demon
who's killing
a king,
perhaps
she'll feel bursting
with options galore
or start to do cartwheels,
the house she'll ignore,
perhaps
it will seem
there is
nothing at all,
worth doing,
in fact
she might feel herself fall
toward molasses-filled
visions
where girls do not go
send her heart beat
before her
the blood flow will slow
the day will be night time
the curtains she'll pull
wrap herself in her visions
'til she knows
where to go

but however it happens
whatever she sees
it will not be
with one mind
and she has
no disease
she is living
the full life:
maybe this,
maybe that,
she's discovering truth
and she won't
take it back.