IF HER NAME HAD BEEN ERICA
*Poem written by poeticgrin

If her name had been Erica,
things would have worked out

differently.

In fifth grade
the stylist would have given her
a Hollywood hairdo
rather than
a too-short perm
and
JC would have noticed her then,
and invited her
to watch him play
football.

He would have fallen
madly in love with her
and written
JC + ET = 2gether
4Ever
on the inside
of his trapper keeper.

He would have spent
Saturday nights
at the decrepit old one-screened theater,

and held her hand
like he was never letting go
at least until
seventh grade

when she’d break
JC’s heart
and stamp him out
like
a fire
burning
a photo
of a girl
named medicatedlady.