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To Richard Arnold's previous piece

Pronoun Paralysis

it's     a little word but
it       scares him
         makes him shake
before the woman he would love to

hopes she won't use
this little word that's
worse than any curse
two letters that change
a simple thing
into misery in cold chains

wonders what it's like
          to be a woman
and never worry about     it
 
for he never stops

if only something easy
          to perform, like
"can you get up?"
sure, he can do that:
can get up in the morning
get up on the roof and fix it
get up a mountain
get up to see his son
          at the university
get up the courage to fight

all these would be
simple sentences
          he could serve

but she demands instead
two letters potent and hard
          as prison bars:

"can you get IT up?"

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