Bandit Queen
written by: Mark Tulin
@Crow_writer
She sits in the coffee shop
talking to herself,
arguing about things
no one understands.
Past conflicts
have never been resolved
but linger in her head.
She drinks from an old coffee cup
tangled in superstition.
She sees her father
at the bottom, her mother
the cream at the top.
She thinks about the children
she once had.
The ones that came from her womb
while standing up.
Many see the woman as an outlaw,
a Ma Barker, a bandit queen
about to grab a gun,
start a fistfight,
pull the fire alarm.
Far from dangerous.
A long way from her home in North Carolina,
she knows she’s a desperado;
used to it by now.
She leaves with her old coffee cup;
unties her imaginary horse,
and rides.
Mark Tulin
Mark Tulin is a former family therapist, joke writer, and fruit huckster. He started writing poems in high school and has never stopped writing and publishing. His books include Magical Yogis, Awkward Grace, The Asthmatic Kid and Other Stories, Junkyard Souls, and Rain on Cabrillo. Mark and his wife ride the bike lanes in Long Beach, California, when he's not writing. See more of his work at - Crow On The Wire.
Latest posts by Mark Tulin (see all)
- With Each Sip of Ceylon Tea - October 3, 2022
- Rocking Chair Wisdom - July 9, 2022
- A Couch Along The Wayside - April 9, 2022
