N  a  p a  l  m     H  e  a  l  t  h     S  p  a  :     R  e  p  o  r  t     2  0  1  1

INGRID SWANBERG


listen tough guy,

I knew each time you lied
by the ring of it or
the slack in your silence

but your lies were
basically not worth mentioning
and there was finally no need
for you to turn away
making a clean break,
though I admired you for doing it,
— knowing what you thought you knew.

listen, tough guy,
those tears were not for you

and when you said I was blameless
and that you were dead inside
you were so sincere and so kind

that even as you said it
it became true