I Taught You To Punch

I taught you once to punch

Perhaps not hard enough,

I taught you to defend yourself,

I taught you to be tough,

I taught you to lash out

But I taught you other stuff,

And in the end, my little friend,

You punched me in the guts,

A rod for my own back,

A baby-dividing sword,

An offering to the Lord of lack

(Was all I could afford)

Just enough hanging slack,

To adorn my neck with chord,

All these things I made myself to crack

The vessel's treasure horde 

And from the crack it poured.

I guess I should be grateful,

I guess I need to wait

I guess I'll give up hateful

Stand and watch for you, from the gardener's gate,

But though I live, for now,

This is a living death,

And the punch I caught,

Taught you to throw,

Separates us till my last breath

I made my bed on this canvas.