One on One, Father to Son
Allegra Negro
When I was your age,
I'd catch fish only half
as pretty as that one
red-haired fire spitter
she's got a slippery tongue,
son
look at those thighs
thick and
thirsty she is
the way she squeezes
better watch your head
better watch the way she dances
sometimes the left strap slips
and you're blinded for half a second ‘cause
her milky shoulders
have never seen the sun
season,
see the way her lips
part
swollen salmon berries kissed
with dew
it'd be a shame if you missed a peek
at those pale
half moons
it'd be a shame if
you couldn't touch her tonight
you gotta touch her,
son
you gotta feel what a
real woman feels like
sunbather
sunrise
to the occasion
isn't it grandson
this is all yours
thighs, shoulders, breasts and lips
breasts and lips
you can never unseason
the beauty that is she
and though she may be a whoreson,
a half broke horse,
she's worth it.
ALLEGRA NEGRO-G. is a seventeen year old junior, majoring in creative writing at Interlochen Arts Academy. She's from Springfield, Illinois.