I was the big shot’s canary,
but when I got jealous of his returning first love, he sent me away to a reform school.
For three years, I suffered through endless hardships.
He made me wear short sleeves in winter.
My fingers became so badly infected that they festered.
My stomach hurt so much I writhed on the floor, and no one cared for me. I passed out several times.
Three years later, he asked me, “Have you learned to behave?”
Yes, I had learned my lesson.
And I didn’t love him anymore.
