“Mary Kay”
by Meritt Rey Salathe
Silly
sycophants
vogue gauntly in the neon light of dive
bars. Suck heavy air like
dying carps. Door cracks varnished; slice
of night
light breaking
wildly through alleyways and steampunk
streets. Pink Chardonnay lick
me. Kiss me. Have me. Drain me. Leave
helpless
up twenty
flights, or drowsy at the wheel. This
blush Pontiac Vibe has
Four Cylinder Engines and 16”
Steel Wheels
With Bolt on
Covers. Electronic Cruise Control
and 6-way Front Driver
Seat Command. Driver/Front Passenger
Airbags,
fortunate
if un-punctured. Glorious vessel
of saleswomanship, fly
us heavenward on foundation
sponge wings.
Taste me sun
and body. Smear me like a turquoise
shade. Smack a flush
onto my hollow cheeks. Rev me.
***
Meritt Rey Salathe studies English at Whitman College and is currently writing a poetry thesis. Her favorite poets include Craig Arnold, for his complicated juxtaposition of the inanimate and sensual, and Marianne Moore, for her brilliant syllabics. In her free time Meritt practices mixology and leads quarterlife, a punchy student-run publication.
