Poetry
When She's a Grandmother Lorena Remembers When She Had a Penis of Her Own
Lyn Lifshin
now her hand trembles
as the flesh she
cupped had and
her legs turn
jelly too. She
wonders if her
grandchildren
will hear of the
night she couldn't
take any more
and his penis was
like a wounded
enemy soldier,
fierce and
threatening
until caught
and then, quiver-
ing, pleading for
a second chance,
not still in
control it
seemed meek, a
whimpering
glob of flesh
hardly worth
taking a knife
to, though
attached to its
brigade it roared
like King Kong,
was all gun. When
she had it in her
hand it was like
having her own
pistol. When she
threw it in the
leaves it was like
getting rid of
the murder weapon.