Otherwise Strewn with Legends

by KJ Hannah Greenberg

In quick succession, her apartment, otherwise strewn
With superheroes, sex proprietors, also amanuenses,
All of whom brought tomatoes and cabbage,
Became a vortex for strange love.

While isolating hired multilinguals in her kitchen, on her roof,
Outside of her bathtub, the “little girl” concluded washers, dryers,
Dishwashers ought not to run concurrently, especially
When repairmen were unwilling.

To wit, she flooded the cotyledons, the mustabas of glittery tile,
Gulped green herbs, ate small peasants, tasted other morsels,
Then marveled at the collected, metallic graben of her salon;
Fantastic males can rend big holes.

Thereafter, those forces departed for easier women who preferred rouging
Cheeks, plastic cards, shipments from fashion palaces. Some
Surgically-enhanced beauty queens, pageants behind them, even
Actually like fire marshals!

Meanwhile, that gal pal’s domain stayed clean of synthetic fruit,
Familiar gift embargos, strast, as taught in boarding schools, recherché
Reasoning, hedgehogs, street corner wisdom. It remained tough to think
Critically about eldritch events when mopping vomit.

Costly, too, to coexist, future kindred or no, without generous
Dollops of sarcasm, discounted engagements, solecisms
Enough to fill bards’ bandoliers, writers’ pages, painters’ sketchpads.
Sometimes, women’s rights gave her the rot.