2 Poems by Melanie Browne |

The south is melting; one goo-goo cluster at a time

The south is melting; one goo-goo cluster
At a time.

Or was that a praline?

I heard a rumor that they used
to chunk them at people's heads
at the grand olde Opry.

And that one lady received
a pretty severe concussion
as a result

(but you can't believe
everything you hear)

anyway, they don't really melt
they just get real warm and gooey
like a woman's heart
when a man asks her to marry him
galloping up on a stallion
with a box of cherry cordials
or goo-goo clusters

& two iced teas,
one with lemon

one without

---

I pretended to be a go-go dancer in a dirty gas station restroom (and other gas station tales)

Once when I was
pumping gas
I saw a
Teenager with a group
Of his friends
Smoking a cigarette

He smoked the whole thing

Then he walked into the store
And bought a chili-cheese
Hot dog and ate the whole
Thing

And I thought
Yuck

That's kind of
Disgusting

Nicotine and chili cheese?

There should be some
Kind of law

ANOTHER TIME
I borrowed
a restroom key
and put it in
In my pocket

And when I got inside
I pretended to be a Go-Go
Dancer

And I swung the key
On it's giant plastic card
Around and around