I’ve Seen Your Repulsion, and It Looks Real Good on You

I admit I was confused while penning the poem found below — until I read it in Brenda Dickson’s voice. Now it all makes sense. I wrote a persona poem, and I didn’t even know it! Though, in a perfect Brenda world, the words “shield,” “helmet,” and “sword” would be replaced by “leggings,” “crystal earrings,” and “a fox,” respectively.

Ostrich feathers, anyone?

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During the loin girding,

the neighbors were asking if things were
all right. 

(farewell, dear rest-of-poem!)

Because the Delicious Ought to be Edible.

When I was in first grade, I sat next to a girl whose name I don’t remember. Let’s call her Melissa. She might as well be a Melissa. When I was in first grade, I sat next to Melissa. The thing about Melissa is that she had, as an ex-boyfriend once said of me, “a great hunger.” Melissa’s great hunger, though, was not whatever the hell my ex-boyfriend thought I had a great hunger for; no, Melissa’s great hunger was for all of those inedible edibles of the first grade classroom: paste, that nasty, snotty glue stuff you brushed onto papers which never stuck, and, especially, more than anything, crayons. Melissa loved the taste of crayons so much that she stole mine, and when I tried to get them back, I found that they had vanished, only their wrappers remaining, like some sad kind of candy that stained your face blue and red. Melissa stole so many of my crayons that my mother found herself purchasing a 24-pack a week to feed her addiction. I spent much of first grade in great anger and then thought, well, if she’s getting use out of them, why not.

Such, often, is my attitude about lines that strike me — in advertisements, in news stories, in other people’s poems, in my own old poems, in songs. When it comes to poetry, I can be a Melissa. I do not borrow. I steal, and I use, and I do not give back. And so, Paul Simon, forgive me for this poem. My mother will buy you a new pack of Crayolas on Monday. I promise.

Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover

Oh, best to just listen to the song.  The poem is gone now!