Poem - My Experiences with Poetry and Sex

When I was in third gradepoetry was confined toAesop's famous fables,and Curious George was high literature.In third grade it was mandatorythat girls had cooties,at least more than I did.(naturally) I thought I could write poetryby the time I got to high school.I was compelled reallyby an over tanned English teacher.One day he had us bring in a songto read as poetry.No boy who brings in Michael Bolton'sgonna get any respect.Sheila Lennahanwith her copy of "Chorus" by Erasurewas more manly. There's two things a high school male thinks aboutthey areA: sexB: pick one_____1.Sports2. Theater3. Poetry4. Hanging out I picked three on occasion. When I was 18 I read at a place called"The Flying Lemur,"and lusted after a goth chick.The key to my apartment belongedto a girl who expectedtoo much from.I left her flowers,and nasty poetry,cutting wordsdesigned to hurt her.Both her and my handswere bloody. We scrapped each other,and I slept on a strangers couch,and then in the bed of his daughterwhile I dated her best friend.The whole place was paintedlike crimson,criminally.She asked me,this daughterto go to the doctor with herbecause she thought her boyfriendhad gotten her pregnant,and she was scared. For awhile I disappeared,moved into a beautifully dilapidated mansion,segued into four apartments.Another old flame found me there,though I was hidingand shemoved on to the Carolina's. I'd write poetry I convinced myself was good,and browbeat my friends with it.Only now,there was no Lemur,as Steve had moved onto the church of the subgeniuswith some guy named "Bob."Forgive me Father,I relived my past. Goodbye sleepy city,still in the height of reconstructionand optimism.(This was Cleveland in the mid nineties) In New York (upstate)the poetry slowed,and I became(capriciously)a college guywith college guy intentions. Boston brought a poetesswho became a poetessupon learning I was a poet.She and I playedthe tortured poet rolesperfectly. I came back to Cleveland,but it toohas slowed. Now I am married.And so the poetryand sexhave stopped.