a woman's purse

a women's purse
is a lifeboat,
a bounty of
things to keep
you going, to
save you, a lesson
in survival.
the flare,
the mirror,
the flashlight,
three sticks of gum,
a tube of neosporin.
the odd stray
packets of ancient
condoms. you
could live inside
a women's purse
for a week
and never go
hungry, so many
mints, the occasional
cracker. a
small bottle
of water. pens
and paper.
a map of nyc's
subway system.
coupons to macy's.
of course
the pepperspray
and handcuffs
i don't understand.