by Chiquita Canisius Gomez, I B.A. English
Do you see that man standing over there
Looking at me with such love, as though he cares
For me, his wife, the woman he was betrothed to?
He is charming, isn't he? But I tell you not to
be fooled by the way he looks at me.
He might look like a gentleman, he isn’t in reality.
If you sit closely and hear him speak
He will take you for granted because you are weak.
He tells me to hide that beautiful smile of mine,
I don’t understand why he finds it a crime.
He says what I do is low and knocks me to the floor.
Oh, how I wish people knew what happens indoors.
Like mother taught us, I was just being nice and kind.
But he said I was being lustful and thought I had lost my mind.
He told me he gave me his name
But I wasn’t I the one who brought him fame.
He said I was nothing without him
Didn’t he know I had an identity with him;
“All hail The Duchess “ I miss my people say.
-No! I’m not going to do so but I sometimes wonder;
I fear becoming his Duchess might have been a blunder.
All I did was tried to be kind but he called me a rebel
That foolish man could not see his ego was the trouble .
The world doesn’t know of this and may it stay that way.
Tell our mother and father that I am doing okay .
Listen now, I don’t know how much time I have left.
It is only mere time since he put me to rest .
- The other day I heard the duke command his men,
“Kill the duchess and throw her in the den”
- No, mother and father won't believe you, it is useless
So say nothing, nothing at all, even as I rest.
Just promise me you will be fine when I become his last duchess.