I Felt Like Her
My girlfriend and I,
he starts to say
warding me off,
happy to have a girlfriend.
Later that night the prostitute on my block screams
at the man across the street.
Are you lonely?
SIR! ARE YOU LONELY?
He keeps on walking, but she follows him anyway.
Billie Sings the Truth
At the table in front of me at Cafè Regular,
a woman is asking her young daughter to tell her the truth.
My Man by Billie Holiday is playing.
Did
or did not the cookie fall on the floor?
Answer me, did the cookie fall on the floor?
The girl shakes her head no.
Did
It costs me a lot
But there’s one thing I’ve got
I’m asking you a question. Did
the cookie fall on the floor?
Before you just ate it, did the cookie
fall on the floor?
Tired, you bet
All of this I’ll forget
The girl shrugs.
She looks down at the wooden floor.
He’s not much on looks,
he’s no hero of books
I saw it fall on the floor,
the mother confesses.
He’s my man
He’s my maaaaaaannnnn…
Ariel Yelen is a writer and visual artist living in Brooklyn, NY. She is the co-founder and curator of the Fantasy Reading Series at the Bowery Poetry Club. She holds an BFA from Purchase College, SUNY School of Art + Design.