the first kiss
       

is a library shadowboxing midday event
is a high school sophomore fresh mouth French kiss
is a Dirty Dancing remake in the making
with a nappy headed boy named Dominque

except it is nothing like Dirty Dancing
Dominique is no Patrick Swayze

still
                you are flying
arms wide as a falling empire

you are climbing
outside of yourself
you are climbing
to the safest branch in a tree above
hands folded prim across
a white ruffled skirt
a promise of judgment braided into
your hair

no, Dominique is no Patrick Swayze

but he is here
his tongue is wet with want
you do not know he will be a father soon
and his girlfriend will call you two days from now
you will learn that his hands
always find young girls like you

but he is here now
thrusting his pelvis into yours
like a history lesson
and you thrusting back
out of context and girlhood
flipping back and back to
the safest place in your spine
your mouth a threshold of maybe
and your fingers twirling his
coily cut hair—your breath so silent
like books on the shelves
in the library
so you twirl your tongue
back and back
like the black girl perched
in the white gathers above
isn't watching

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Copyright © 2018 Mahogany L. Browne All rights reserved
from Kissing Caskets
YesYes Books
Reprinted by Verse Daily® with permission