The lioness kneels before the scorpion
You said that you don’t understand your daughter’s frustration
So I will tell you the explanation
As you are the queen of the savannah, no kitten
Perhaps you can arrange a solution
It’s a fear of disappointment
Every man and woman’s predicament
A retreat from that over which she has no control
When her hope is at an ebb, and there is no one to console
Tomorrow I’ll write a poem of love to a Dutch girl in another nation
Probably a figment of a broken and demented imagination
Mental machination about an impossible and unbelievable situation
Throwing words at Belgrade’s grey winds as my only consolation
Living perpetually in ignorance with no trace of salvation
I have no doubt that there is something you can do
Scorpions are only dangerous when you find them in your shoe
When it’s all said and done, she and I are just little bugs
She’ll respond when you scold her and give her some hugs
Her whole body is smaller than your single talon, or your solitary fang
You can’t be cowed when she stomps her feet or throws a book with a bang
I was pleased to meet your husband; he looks kind and clever
Surely he can push a button or pull a lever
You two can get her to me so we can discuss disappointment together
A tormented poet needs a master of the history of art
To untangle the mess of the broken heart