Rita calls.
She’s coming over
for a girl’s night-in
because she likes
the name of the wine—
Yellow Tail. She says,
I like tail, and laughs
till she chokes.

She doesn’t knock;
she just comes right in,
heads straight
for the bathroom,
tells me she’s like a dog—
has to mark every new spot.

Her breasteses bulge out
of her black lingerie top
like she’s been leaning
on the shoulder of a silent lotus.

You can tell
she thinks she’s gorgeous.
Her low class loveliness
breaks my heart a little.

Rita, you’re poetry.

She stares at me;
a smoke ring
makes her right eye water.

What the fuck?  she says,
you’re ate up with it, lil sister.

 

Image credit:Briona Baker

Cheryl Leverette—the pen name of Cheryl Ann Dodd—was a prolific poet who drew much inspiration from the company of other writers and artists online. She died on May 27, 2019. The rest of her inspiration came from her family. For her author bio on Open Arts Forum, she wrote, "I'm a grandmother living in Tennessee, enjoying my family and semi-retirement. I love writing and poetry as a hobby and also as a learning experience. It keeps me sharp."