Posting the poem that is in the Hessler Street Fair Anthology, 2016 (edited by John Burroughs and published by Crisis Chronicles Press) as well as in this author’s poetry book, Three Breaths just for you, Jane.
Dictionary Elles
Lewd, lascivious, licentious, lustful, libertine…
Who found them?
Was it Christy?
Karen?
Or, perhaps, another?
No matter, we learned them
Different words with subtle nuances
All with the same meaning
We knew them, used them
We were the Dictionary Girls
Virgins all,
Dateless on Saturday nights.
We believed our teachers,
The ones who said,
“If you use a word ten times,
The word is yours forever.”
And we made them ours,
Lewd, lascivious, licentious, lustful, libertine.
It became our mantra; each having her favorite
Mine, licentious…
I loved the sound, the feeling of it in my mouth
Feline, lithe, lean, and smoldering,
A svelte woman in a skinny black dress.
We’re grown now,
Having lived the lustful life of the mind
Still Dictionary Girls
…and have become, in turn,
Lewd, lascivious, licentious, lustful libertines
At times.
but mostly we are just
Dictionary Girls.
This is so great! Thanks for sharing it!
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I posted it, oh-so-long-ago, on Red Room. I figured you might have seen it before. Glad you finally did..it is one of my favorites and so personal. ~nan
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