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).