They Say by B. Lynne Zika

They say Jim Doley was horny enough

to root a pig, in fact, tried once

but couldn’t mount quite right

That was the year of white Keds

no laces, when Stephanie Gurgen

had her boobs pushed in

by a doctor on account of

not getting her period.

Pregnancy agreed with Mama

who paid for a record party

low lights & Lipton’s

onion dip unsupervised

as if she’d decided

youth needed a break.

We poured lemon juice on our heads

& rolled our hair in beer cans

to catch the boys in GTOs

so we wouldn’t be girls

with “out-of-town” boyfriends.

Doley said French ticklers

drove women wild

& spat Coke on the patio door

from the shock of seeing

a man’s hand up Mother’s blouse

He’s feeling her up!

He’s goddamn feeling her up!

& we all yelled  Shut up, Jim.

They’re married

for Christ’s sake

but we weren’t scared 

about the pigs anymore

& ate bacon

three Sundays in a row.

 

B. Lynne Zika’s photography, nonfiction, and poetry have appeared in numerous literary and consumer publications. 2022 publications include Delta Poetry Review, Backchannels, Poesy, Suburban Witchcraft, and The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature. In addition to editing poetry and nonfiction, she worked as a closed-captioning editor for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. Awards include: Pacificus Foundation Literary Award in short fiction, Little Sister Award and Moon Prize in poetry, and Viewbug 2020 and 2021Top Creator Awards in photography. Website: https://artsawry.com/.