The Other Cheek

I’ve always turned
the other cheek
away from view
away from sight
well, tonight
I thought to myself
“I should hold my head up high
rather than try to hide this part of me”
It bears the hallmarks of girls who should not be
We are maybe not one in a million, but at least
one in a hundred thousand
or some such figure
(it may be bigger)
I should be proud
I should accept

except...

Aftermath Man

Oh shit, dawg!
for real just got real
but for poor Aftermath Man
you do just gotta feel
He’s always keen to help out
to use his powers for Right and Good
but by day he works in an office
while he dreams and thinks he could
take on the baddies and the villains
and sock it to ‘em right where it stings
but when there’s a need for superheroes
he always too late to those things
He’ll be sitting at his desk in the office
being totally incognito n’ stuff
when he’ll hear of a dire situation
like a duel or a fight or a fisticuff
so he’ll run to the toilets to change into
his stockings and long cape and facemask
only to emerge in all his lycra finery
to discover the drama has past
Head down and dejected and moody
he mopes back to the men’s room to undress
to return as boring old Office Dude
Sometimes he thinks he'll just go and confess
to being the guy in the outfit
He wonders if he really ever truly can
make the big, dramatic revelation
“Hey everyone, I’m Aftermath Man!”

For Precious One

Precious One
if you only knew your worth
We would move heaven and earth for you
You have got us all so worried
You have got us all
You have got us

Precious One
I want so much better for you
than what you're going through
It is too late for me to be carefree
so my energy will be devoted to being here for you
because there is no one in my world, Precious One,
that has even begun to come close
to meaning what you do

I know this is your battle to fight
with victory only temporary
and that this piece of your mind won't let you have peace of mind
It's a war you'll never win
but you will begin, I promise, to live within your skin
with something akin to contentment
and if it's only for a moment
you'll make the most of it

Soon I will tell you about how you came along
and gave us something to delight in
when there was nothing else but devastation
and how you still shine into my heart
what sometimes feels like the only natural light
in my day of dull energy-saving bulbs and harsh fluorescents
You make a difference
Your presence alone does wonders
precious wonders
Precious One does