Welch’s & Cheese

There’s no debate at Brigham Young. Law school

— no teams, brainwashed trained tongues. Why argue what

we don’t believe? Research & ridicule,

heretics cleave divinity; rebut

His word?  Of heresy, you’ll make a club —

shy cafeteria boy forms with you.

Need others to argue.  Your table snubbed

recruitment day — critique’s taboo, BYU.

You’re poli sci? You could recruit? Grape juice,

introductions, brie, living room some male

professor pontificates on welfare moms

& golden plates while you chew fingernails.

There’s no arguing at poli sci parties;

imbibe sanctimony, Welch’s & cheese.

You Drop Poli Sci Because Of A Guy

whose name is listed as a driver for

the carless — Welch’s & Cheese party rides.

Blue curlicue girl signature beside — more

blank spaces left.  You run away to hide.

You’ve been inside a vehicle with him,

a journey to the desert, fingers deep.

Nightmares about the pallor of his skin,

some specter dragging you to choke asleep.

They drugged you, let him plead his case —

confession, absolution, coverup.

Now gives rides, poli sci girls, naive, chaste.

Your major is one more thing you give up.

A part did die beneath that desert sky.

You drop poli sci because of a guy

Kristin Garth is a Pushcart & Best of the Net nominated sonnet stalker. In addition to Constellate Journal, her poetry has stalked magazines like Glass, Yes, Five:2: One, Anti-Heroin Chic, Former Cactus, Occulum, Luna Luna, & many more.  She has a chapbook Pink Plastic House (Maverick Duck Press), three forthcoming: Pensacola Girls (Bone & Ink Press, Sept 2018) and Shakespeare for Sociopaths (The Hedgehog Poetry Press Jan 2019), Puritan U (Rhythm & Bones Lit March 2019) Her full length, Candy Cigarette, is forthcoming April 2019 (The Hedgehog Poetry Press). Follow her on Twitter:  (@lolaandjolie) and her website (kristingarth.com).