Now and Then - A Poem

NOW AND THEN

He comes by now and then
with a bit of cash
in hand as his
‘voluntary child support’.
On the last occasion,
he became angry
with her
and threw
the roll of cash
to her
as he was walking
out the door.
She screamed at him,
“I am not your whore!
Your children
are the ones
that I bore!
I nourished them
from my breast.
My heart is beating
right out of my chest!
You have me
in such extreme distress.
I am truly tired
of all of this mess!”