Throwback Thursdays! We’re bringing back some of our favorite pieces from the last 30 years of Scribendi.
One More Story
Kimberly Walters – 1996
So, Joe the Old Liar starts telling people I’m Fruity,
and everywhere l go it’s double-takes and long glances
and me, not knowing, I think maybe the world’s finally
noticed my engaging profile, the quirky tilt of my chin.
So I smile a lot, my Garbo eyelids drooping, and practice
restraining my stride Bacall-style ’til someone finally
says to me Hey girl, quit the closet. It’s out. Don’t try and fight yourself. And I’m surprised at first, but he seems so assured
like he’s seen this before and it makes me wonder.
So I start to look back, to pull and sort, and I think about
Magdalena and the Disney spaghetti-gag with Twizzlers
and mostly about Ruth and her red Mohair sweater and
Patchouli confronting me at every tum of the head.
And l think, No. Nothing solid I think. Interpretation.
Depends what you mean by Gay, but I find myself
in the shower stall razor to head, saucy and laughing
and it’s always Indigo Girls crooning from my stereo.
The looks lengthen and l like knowing they’re watching me,
so when that first girl kisses me, sitting on the grass
after the concert, it feels good because it’s lips against lips.