In the theater lobby, a mannequin with
legs like chopsticks
stabbing through bikini bottoms
throws her head back and chokes
a font of popcorn.
The pinch of her stomach
cooks the kernels!
the manager sells to me.
His hand sweats on the bone of her hip.
Another towering specimen
is bent at 2 o’clock
with hands tied behind her back.
Her breasts are like
the decorative pillows on his couch;
her breasts are like a boxer’s speed bag.
She spews soda when you pull her hair!
Step right up, step right up!
He forces clear cola into my cup and
shoves me into tiered seating
where silver shadows
creep across gnashing faces.
They are
waiting to grab the fat of my thighs
and they
squeeze during the chase scene;
they
trail butter in their clumsy thrusts to
thumb exclamation points. And
For the love of god,
will you keep still?
The leading lady
is about to be kissed.
Nissa Lee’s poetry has appeared in Wicked Alice, Breadcrumb Scabs, and Mannequin Envy. She studies creative writing in the MFA program at Rutgers University in Camden.