Ron Koertge
Girl Talk
During "The Desires of Monique"
my friend and I were chatting
about the alarming number of men
who tore off Monique's flimsy panties
with their teeth.
The theatre was shrine-like—
vast, smoky, and dim—so we confessed
that neither of us had ever
chewed away any underwear.
We agreed, though, that perhaps age
and experience could explain that.
In the 50's there was something
called a panty girdle and, believe me,
after gnawing on a panty girdle
for a while, a person gets full
and has to ask for a doggy bag
to take home the rest for later.
On the screen, Monique dreamed
of her voracious lovers. There they
were—laughing, waving, flossing.
This is where we came in, but leaving
we vow that the first one to devour
an entire pair will call the other
immediately.
That is the kind of friends we are.
We talk on the phone for hours
and we tell each other everything.
Ron Koertge, I Dreamed I Was Emily Dickinson's Boyfriend, Red Hen Press, 2022.