SO IT WAS 1996 I ASSUME
MY FIRST YEAR ON TV
AS A DAYTIME TALK SHOW HOST
A GIRL MERV

I WAS HONORED –
SO OFTEN IT WAS TAXING
I HAD PARKER
MORE BABIES WERE ON THE WAY

I LONGED TO BE HOME
AND SHUT OUT THE MAKE UP
THE SPOTLIGHT
THE NOISE

THIS WAS A WOMENS EVENT
NORA WAS THERE –
I CAUGHT HER EYE
WAITED FOR HER LAUGH ALONE

I MADE A JOKE
ABOUT HOW HORRIBLE
THE SOUND SYSTEM WAS
HOW WE NEEDED TO FIX IT

EMBARRASSING
AS WOMEN IN TV
2 HAVE NO AUDIO
WHATSOEVER

————————

SO JOYS HOMOPHOBIC BLOGS
MENTIONED ME
ON OCCASSION
IN CRUEL WAYS

SOME ASSUMED
GUESSED – SURMISED
IT WAS ANTI GAY
HER SAYING “NO ONE LOVES ROSIE”

AND OTHER CRAP
FAT COMMENTS TOO
FEW CAN RESIST
OINK OINK

===============

I AM NEW TO JOY REID
ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO
I STARTED WATCHING AM JOY
AFTER SEEING HER SUB FOR MADDOW

I DIDNT KNOW MUCH ABOUT HER
SHE WAS SMART
AND QUICK AND FAIR AND FEMALE
A SISTERFRIEND I WAS SURE

IN MY MIND I AM PALS WITH RACHEL
WE DOUBLE DATE
IN MY MIND
SPEND TIME AN THE CAPE HANGING OUT

NEVER MET EITHER ONE
RACHEL OR JOY
BUT I FEEL LIKE
I KNOW THEM

==========================

SOMEHOW KATHY GRIFFIN
KNOWS JOY REID
HOW
I AM NOT SURE

SHE TEXTS ME
CALL HER
SHE IS COOL
SHE IS SORRY

WE TALK
SHE TELLS ME
WE MET ONCE
IN 1996

SHE WAS AN INTERN
I WAS GETTING AN AWARD
WITH NORA DEAD CENTER
SMILING

I SHOWED UP WITH MY PUBLICIST LOIS SMITH
JOY WAS ASSIGNED TO ME
AND APPARENTLY
I WAS HORRIBLE TO HER

I AM TAKEN ABACK
RIGHT AWAY
WHEN SHE SAYS THIS
AS SHE IS A BLACK YOUNG WOMAN

ITS NOT IN MY DNA
I OVER COMPENSATE
I SEE THE STRUGGLE
I CONNECT

SHE LEFT OUT DETAILS
BUT I HURT HER
HEART AND SOUL
AND SHE HELD A GRUDGE TIL 2011?

SO SHE SAYS
AND I THINK OK
GOOD – IT WASNT HOMOPHOBIA
NOT ANTI GAY

JUST ANTI ME
PERSONAL AND SPECIFIC
I DID HER WRONG
SHE REACTED WITH UNKIND POSTS

5 YEARS LATER
SHE WAS STILL RECOVERING
FROM THE DAMAGE I INFLICTED
ME – COMPLETELY UNAWARE

I APOLOGIZE
CAUSE WHATEVER SHE SAW
THOUGHT FELT ASSUMED
– SHE WAS WOUNDED BY IT

WE STUMBLE THROUGH
A QUIET CONVERSATION
I WONDER HOW SHE GOT FROM THOSE BLOGS
TO HERE AND NOW

FIERCE SMART UNFLAPPABLE
REPRESENTING
MADDOW BUD
“CANT GET THERE FROM HERE”

PEPPERIDGE FARM REMEMBERS
SO DOES THE WEB
HIT SEND
AND ITS YOURS FOREVER

A TATTOO OF U
IN PIXELS
NO DO OVER
NO OOOPS

IF U FUCK UP
FESS UP

DO ONE INTERVIEW
MADDOW MAYBE
LIVE – LAY IT ALL OUT
TURN EVERY STONE

THEN COME WHAT MAY
I BELIEVE SHE WILL STAY
AND CONTINUE TO OWN ALL SHE IS
A WARRIOR FOR DEMOCRACY

I WILL FOREVER WONDER
WHAT I COULD HAVE DONE
TO HURT HER SO
I AM TRULY SORRY