probably not

i wonder if i can stand
my man telling me
whether he can or cannot
"send me to work"

a woman, then
has more on her plate
than even before
a woman, now
needs to be constantly
on her toes
so that the equation
doesn't slide back
into the old weights

i wish it didn't have to be that way
i wish a woman could just trust in love
and not worry about upsetting the balance
but a woman, today, is not so naive