For Marilyn

By Geoffrey Mangers

This is for Marilyn, on a ferry excursion over San Francisco Bay
at one of the early 80's NSP Conventions.

I notice Marilyn standing alone on the boat.
Marilyn is attractive, sweet. Marilyn turns my head.
So I go over to chat her up, And
What's this? What's she doing?
She's blocking all over the place.
I'm intimidating her?

WHAT I WISHED I HAD SAID TO HER:

NEVER be intimidated by men who stutter.
Don't you know: You're the ones with all the power!
Women who Stutter are Top. Stuttering is Sexy.

But Women who Stutter are hard to come by.
They are rare and precious jewels coveted by all men who stutter
(no matter how fluent we may appear to you at the time)
For they possess the deep empathic knowledge of our pain.
And only they have the power to heal that pain.
No, fluent women can't even begin to come close.
Women who Stutter have Power.

We constantly worry about how others are reacting to us.
We always feel compelled to respond instantly to the demands of others.
Like touching a raw nerve. Don't flinch. Resist.
This is the place to learn to Resist.
Don't let me intimidate you. Make me wait.
Silence is power.
Feel your Power.
Do you see me going anywhere?
Make me wait.
I'll wait the rest of the boat trip if I have to. Make me wait...