Death Bloom

A giant asparagus and the end of a ten year tenancy

The last grasp at influence

Because I would not let him play daddy

When he delivered the fire extinguishers I asked for, missing was illegal, violation of code

There would be so many of these

Dilapidated, neglected—

I chose not to marry a man for many of these same reasons

The exertion of control over

The admonishment to keep me small

And feeling responsible for the things he neglected to do

Was legally bound to keep up

It is small ask- habitability

Human treatment

A baseline really

That for ten years he was in my head, had me questioning my own worth, insidious parallels to my own father, whose state of mind and heart was the responsibility of those around him