Eva Gouel (1885-1915)

she should never fall ill
so long as she keeps taking her pill
and her drinking continued all day long
while he kept singing his own selfish song
and she thought it was all for fun
but he treated her like a tangible pun
mocking and socking like a busy seamstress
and she could only ever guess
that he liked whatever he did
sometimes he acted like a man, sometimes a kid
a case in point when he split the joint
he hid her away in a box
turned her into a pair of pretty socks
into a still life of a ham
or tossed her with a Spanish thank you ma'am
when their busy life produced a lull
he painted her head into a skull
since he evidently couldn't change his theme
and cancer took her away from the scene
all her lingerie stayed on the floor
he painted her into a chair once before
and now he'd do it again
his psyche was his only Zen