Night after night
Beside you I've waited in vain
For you to hold me close
And love me again

But all I get
Is the sound of your breath
While you lie beside me
Like a cold corpse in death

I stare into the darkness
Hoping for your touch
Could a little bit of loving
Be asking for too much

Day after day
I wait for you to come home
Perfume myself
While I wait for you alone

I listen to laughter
From the flat next door
And the grunts and moans
As they cavort on the floor

My mind filled with images
Of the love you deny
And while my hands caress me
In frustration I cry

When you come home
I lay myself along with my smile
You talk about your day
And miss my subtle guile

And even when I tell you
Of my craving need
You think I'm shameless
And seldom take heed

The years are now passing
There's gray in our hair
But the hunger for love
Is still lurking in there

The books that you hid
Are no longer enough for me
Only with you within me
Will my craving be set free

I so long to see that hunger
On your familiar face
The passionate want you had
To feel your demanding embrace

I need your loving
To show me you care
That I'm still desirable
And a woman down there

My unkissed lips
Untrue as I avert their eyes
Pretending I'm fulfilled
But they see through my lies

I'm sure they are lying too
When they talk about their men
Gossiping and cackling
Like a bunch of old hen

How does it matter
If like me they too pretend
The hunger lurks within me
Driving me round the bend

So if you can't love me
Please let me go
That I may seek love elsewhere
You don't even have to know

But I'd be only too happy
To tell you my stories too
And in that sharing
Become one with you

Don't force me to hide
Or resort to subterfuge
For only in your arms
Do I wish to find refuge

The other arms that hold me
Are just fulfilling my want
I don't wish to feel guilty
Nor face my own taunt

If I've spread my wings
It's because you're not there
And the loneliness I feel
Is too much for me to bear

I'll always be yours
No matter how high I soar
Or for that matter
How often I go out for more

I've given you my soul
And the best of the rest
I'll continue to love you
Don't push me out of this nest

But if you wish to keep me
Like a bird in a cage
Please feed my hunger
But not with frustrated rage

Acknowledge I'm a woman
Who still for love has need
Not a mere housekeeper
And my just want is not greed

Marriage clipped my wings
It will be painful again to fly
But if I make the effort now
It's only to find the love you deny

~ Sumaitri ~