Consequence

Do you believe in the power of voting

as savior? This was a magical blend,

a tang like lemon on the tongue. You,

too, can change your circumstances. You,

too, will be blamed should November swing

south, the burden compounded.

In the land of flags and honey, I was eleven the first time

a stranger told me that he liked the way I looked

in gym shorts. All in good fun, of course. You shouldn’t

take it like that. You could have been nice about it, girl,

you could have educated his ass. You have to think

of other people now. After all,

there is no cure for a bitter woman. Further,

did you smile? I’m told you could have smiled.

So observed, I became my hometown. Aphorisms

and consequence reign. I’m told this

is a sin, that angry lesbians have ruined a good,

brutal thing.

I will not smile now. I will make

my own consequence.