I gave you my heart -
a soft
and tawny bundle. Unappealing? True.
Scrawny? Yes, that too.

Take it,
my eyes said
since lips, couldn't.
I had read that it only took one true
kiss,
I felt ready for this... this momentous... step.
I slowly cuddled her, my heart,
while you...
mantis-stared.

With
soft-stroking hands,
I tried to demonstrate -
Oh, do you see? It is really, very tender,
very young, very
small,
yes, move closer, do you see?
Do you hear
its humming burr? Its yearning growl?
It is such a little thing. No!
No! Do not squeeze,
pinch! Oh,
oh, no roughness, please
but gently and then, gentler, still.
Do you see? Do you hear?

You ignored me. You were so eager.
In savage hand, gripped hard both wrists,
so shocked hands with ugly thud.........dropped
that soft-boned bundle
they had lately
rocked.
And as damaged cub
raised shuddery head on wobbly neck,
eyes limed shut, sobbing
for help,
you took a chain, latched on strangling collar,
muzzled, then dragged the cripple to the corner, told it to         sit.

                                                                Behave.
While you
gave her mistress what she'd come
for,
bloody, blatantly, practically begged
for.

And gave it
good.