Careful Mother
I am all ears
All these years
Through the off-white walls
Down the bright-light halls
And up the precarious staircase always
Every one of your words
Loud or soft and forbidden
Whispers right to me
Don't tell your secrets
To the telephone
Because this house is small
And I am very clever
And quite afraid
Your murmurs gave birth
To an anxious child
Wary and wild
Crouching in the shadow
In the lee of the door
She is your Watergate daughter
You wait
Just you wait
One day
Some way
You just might catch her eavesdropping
Ear to the keyhole, the crack
Suddenly thrown wide, pushed aside
And there she stands
Gentle doe daughter frozen solid in the headlights
Oh well
Game over
Guilt-ridden
You got me
Caught me red-handed
And tear-stained