I understand the pull of her swirling
hair & why it’s her waist your hand
wants to entwine. I understand
that her aventurine eyes sweep
over you like the Caribbean
surf. I understand why
you forget about other loves, forgot
about me. Now I am a crushed
monarch under an 18-wheeler.
 
I attempted to reincarnate
as a Freightliner Cascadia,
top-selling 18-wheeler in North America ,
with its customizable driver’s quarters
& the first telescoping ladder
for easy access to the top sleeper.
A definite upgrade! Despite 
my new luxurious ride,
I remember the betrayal secretly.
 
In the the fairy tale, The Princess & the Pea, 
a disheveled young woman,
drenched with rain, seeks safe shelter,
sleeps on a bed of twenty mattresses
with a hard pea underneath,
only to complain about a troubled
night’s sleep. The princess can feel
the little bump, the disturbing seed.