Sara

Sara tiptoes across The kitchen floor To get some heat She opens the oven door Sheets in the window Sara calls them curtains Mind weary, Soul hurtin' Sara Sara lives by the train tracks At Sixteenth and O Her Mama calls it a shack But to Sara it’s quite comfortable Flour and water Two minute gravy Don't rattle those pots too loudly, Sara Might startle that Baby Sara empty, cold and lonely Sara with too much time to think Sara humble, beautiful and homely Draws water from the kitchen sink Sara thought she married the perfect guy But soon as he heard that baby cry- He left a two page note: The first page said, I love you The second page said, Goodbye For a whole month he tried Sara's mother told her That he was just too young But Sara didn't listen He promised Sara he'd be the one She'd always been missin' Two pinches of cornstarch From the box on the shelf Sara says, Hell, He was just a baby himself Nine months Sara bore the burden Feet tired, head hurtin' So many times she wasn't certain Sara pours vinegar on lettuce Just enough to call it salad Memories of him grow stronger Sara tries not to think about it One child- A year later a divorce And the White knight Who was supposed to save the day Must have fallen from his horse Or maybe he lost his way Men of means offer her money And pose a promise or two Sara laughs as if it’s funny Saying, You're just like sugar Tryna call itself honey You're just too sweet to be true Sara opens the refrigerator door Takes out the potatoes From the night before Then Sara just thinks some more: "We can let June keep the Baby. Or we can put it up for adoption." But Sara knew that wasn't an option Sara recalled the anger in his voice: "Babe, please don't force me to make a choice." Sara cried as she watched him go His pain he was too proud to show He said, Sara, please don't cry Then he said, Goodbye The only love she had ever known- Now Sara and the Baby were alone In his Blue travel sack Everything in the world That he ever owned But sweet Sara understood The baby that he feared Probably all in this world That he had ever done of good From the balcony Sara watched As he walked down the railroad tracks She knew that once he crossed L Street He would never ever turn back Sara watched him As far as her eyes could go Then he disappeared at Thirteenth and O Sara just closed her window And Sara went inside And Sara cried