\u201cI tripped over my wiener,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
a frank and sturdy slip<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
into a sweet-watered community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Suburban hell:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
plastic tulips fight <\/p>\n\n\n\n
over the mangled sunlight jaws,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
jaundiced crabgrass <\/p>\n\n\n\n
gnaws at the broken sidewalk cracks,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Concrete and iced tea winds lead to<\/p>\n\n\n\n
white picket welcome signs —<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
misleading misnomers<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(no one is welcome in my home)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ducks, lots of ducks<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(carry the u and\/or i)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Muscovy, Mallard, Pekin,\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
glutinous little cretin,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
but none as thickly fun loving <\/p>\n\n\n\n
as (i)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dead squirrel like a beach towel <\/p>\n\n\n\n
spread on the sidewalk<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He died a brave man, diving for nuts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(more than i can say for lil\u2019 ol\u2019 me)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Patriotism took a squat <\/p>\n\n\n\n
over this bourgeois block.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No one told them:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
MAGA flags ain\u2019t decorations,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and no one wants to see you <\/p>\n\n\n\n
in your American Flag underwear at 5 A.M.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
or the pup poking his head from you white and red<\/p>\n\n\n\n
sniffing the air for his sweet little stray,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
a fat, flirty, fierce orange pussy <\/p>\n\n\n\n
(cat)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Get your mind out of the gutter! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Come on, man! There\u2019s children here!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And the sheriff lives down the street! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Back the Blue yard signs bunting his yard like<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
whiskers, marking his territory;<\/p>\n\n\n\n
it is all his, and none of it is mine<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(i am his)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(he is a man)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(what is happening)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(???)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
**<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I am claimed, branded podunk,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
sun spitting freckle seeds onto my shoulders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A man drives by in a red pick-up truck<\/p>\n\n\n\n
bearing brown scars from a day of mudding<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
with a bumper sticker that proudly reads,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI tripped over my wiener!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The fenders wag smugly,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
proud of their brother. His joke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I will laugh too, it is polite<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(to polish gutter holes)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(for my man)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anastasia Jill (she\/they) is a queer writer living in the Southeast United States. She has been nominated for Best American Short Stories, Best of the Net, and several other honors. Her work has been featured with Poets.org<\/a>, Pithead Chapel, Contemporary Verse 2, Minola Review, Broken Pencil, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cI tripped over my wiener,\u201d a frank and sturdy slip \u00a0 into a sweet-watered community. Suburban hell: \u00a0 plastic tulips fight over the mangled sunlight jaws, jaundiced crabgrass gnaws at the broken sidewalk cracks, Concrete and iced tea winds lead to white picket welcome signs — \u00a0 misleading misnomers (no one is welcome in my … <\/p>\n