Legendary Tease

Dear Thumper, you should know
that I still can’t watch Bambi
without picturing
the inside
of your thigh.

A tattooed rabbit
exposed
on the stage of your skin,
fighting
for the attention of
drunk and horny men,
throwing up dollar signs
with their eyes.

What happens
when you shake, rattle
and climb that pole?
Every night
a different crowd;
a new poem in your head
to pass the time.

You should know
that I can’t
for the life of me,
remember your name,
so I call you Mama T,
secretly,
writing it down,

because I’ve never said you
out loud.

I was fourteen
and you were old enough
to have a kid.

I always thought old enough
meant
you had options.
So what happened to yours?

“College isn’t free.
It takes your money,
time and need
for freedom,
swallows them up
and spits you
out.”

Maybe you’re right,
but I know you still dream
of being an English teacher
when you grow up
and out
of your lifestyle.

“I love words, but I don’t always
like their meanings.
Language is supposed to be a tool
for those who need it,
not weapons for those
poor in spirit
and heart.

I’m not a slut.
I don’t
fuck.

I show some skin,
but doesn’t everyone,
sometimes?”

It’s true.
I’ve been known
to take off my clothes,
once in a while.

So where do we draw the line?

I guess everyone’s a stripper,
sometimes

even if the only person watching
is the mirror.