Lips like satin and eyes like glass
Truant and needy
The girl walked in jeans and high boots
Rounding the pier to find some relief
A man stepped close, dropping the stub of a cigarette
A cough forcing smoke through his teeth like jet plume
With the grin of a Cheshire smile, she lured him,
Flirting and shaking like a chorus dancer
Until the man with his tattooed fingers, tired of her play,
Emptied his hand in hers
The boardwalk felt cold, the cover of a crowd less protective
So she turned to the alley where the sailors meet,
Stalking and waiting outside the bar, but not going in
For the girl was twelve years old
January 31, 2023 [Issue 41]
Grey Sparrow Journal 