By Gary Beck
PROMPT — The way I see it ...
I may only be thirteen
but I have a woman’s body
and it’s time Mommy accepts it.
When it’s really hot outside
I go for a walk
and meet my best friend, Cassie.
We wear tight short shorts, sports bras
and the workers watch us,
Hispanics, Eastern Europeans
who can’t afford to live here
in our expensive neighborhood.
We always recognize them
cause they wear cheap t-shirts
and their faces are lustful
as they watch our taut, sexy flesh
amply displayed for viewing
on our way to the gym.
We like that they look at us,
even though they’re lowlifes
and sometimes make dirty comments,
but we’d never do things with them.
We feel safe showing off our bodies
walking in the neighborhood,
showing off we’re young and hot.
Daddy doesn’t like how I dress
and says I’m provoking trouble,
but he doesn’t tell me to stop
cause he likes to look at Cassie,
who looks as hot as I do
and she’s a little older,
about thirteen and a half.
Nothing will happen to us here,
people are always on the street
so they may look at us,
but they won’t do anything.
Summer’s over in two weeks
and we go back to school
where we can’t dress like this.
I tell Daddy not to worry
and he finally gives in
and won’t bug me for a while.
I’m glad Mommy’s so busy
cause she gives me a real hard time.
Gary Beck has spent most of his adult life as a theater director and worked as an art dealer when he couldn't earn a living in the theater. He has also been a tennis pro, a ditch digger and a salvage diver. His original plays and translations of Moliere, Aristophanes and Sophocles have been produced Off Broadway. His poetry, fiction and essays have appeared in hundreds of literary magazines and his published books include 42 poetry collections, 18 novels, 4 short story collections, 2 collection of essays, and 8 books of plays. Gary lives in New York City.
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