Who Are You To Judge? Poem by RIC BASTASA

she had been living in sin
that is what they say

who are you to judge?
she alone shall be the jury
and judge of all her actions

she is old to discern
she has to decide

what prayer does she
say at night? for all those years

until one day her man dies
and some say she is now free

free from what?
from her guts she must know
her heart shall tell

we shall be in the funeral
and watch her tears fall
upon the glass of the dead

when everything is over
we all leave one by one

and she will be left again
alone

only to be joined by another
beloved

will he be his new-found
freedom or will he be his
prison cell forever

meanwhile i too shall face
the consequences of my own
self

and this will make me silent too
and at night some prayers will be said

too private, more personal
for i like her, am, too, an individual.