I am ungrateful, Ungratefully I rise from the Window sill where I sat watching And turn away. I would pull lightning from the clouds Down from the gray clouds and Through the window, through The cheap gauze curtains And cast it about me Burning everyone: Ungrateful. She comes in and the firelight Shines in her darkeye: She stamps and laughs In her lowlaugh <come outside, michael, come out> Grandmother says nothing she is Busy at the stove Saying nothing, pointedly She knows something She knows everything. That wise old fucking woman. I can say nothing too, or I say something With my shoulders. My cousin stamps and laughs In her lowlaugh And walks on in by me. Passing, she says in her breathlesslowvoice <you are such an ungrateful bastard>giggling And walks on by into the other room Where they are playing cards, Her littlelaugh trailing behind her. I can't go out now and I won't follow her either So I sit back down in my chairbythewindow Waiting for lightning. When the lightning comes, then I will show them How ungrateful a bastard I am.