In response to an embarrassing story...

Today the pricker…

Every day they poke me,
Little pricks on my knee,
My thigh,
The right one,
(My left is neglected)
prick prick Hold
prick prick Hold
prick prick Hold
every so often very tiny pricks
but mostly,
prick prick Hold
Across my belly
prick prick Hold
Up my sternum
prick prick Hold
to my forehead.
prick prick Hold- prick prick prick prick prick down the middle each day while the sun shines through my window making sliding patterns from my feet to my head,
And when the sun is gone…rest

In winter they squeak
Squprieak squprieak Hold
Squprieak squprieak Hold
One line chorus of squeaky pricks
I AM DIRTY ALWAYS
In winter.
Squprieak squprieak Hold
Squprieak squprieak Hold
I AM DIRTY ALWAYS
In winter.

Each night I am licked
Licked by two prickers
Prick prick SLIDE
Prick prick SLIDE
I AM clean for rest
The sun brings Squprieak squprieak Hold
The pricks are dirty,
I am patient.

TODAY!
prick prick Hold
prick prick Hold
all day, no different
and then….and then….and then…. and then….and then…. and then…. and then….
Prick prick Hold
Prick prick- STOP
And…
One of the prickers…
and then….
One of the prickers…
and then….
One of the prickers…
AND THEN…
One of the prickers LEAKED ON ME!!!
IT LEAKED AND DRIPPED OFF THE LEDGE
ON ME!
ON MY FACE!
ICKY WET WET WET
NOT like winter
Salty sticky wet wet WET.
I did NOT get licked
I did NOT get licked
I did NOT get licked

The LEAKY PRICKER pricked very fast to the outside pocket.
prick prick prick prick prick prick prick prick prick DOWN the Middle
And then…
The other prickers jiggled.
The other prickers jiggled.
They jiggled for a moment… and sang a strange song
and then….finally…
prick prick Hold
prick prick Hold

I did not feel the leaky pricker again.
BUT i SOAKED in it’s LEAK all DAY.
With both eyes closed.
That pricker is not welcome here.


-Valerie Larsen