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The following can also be found in the book Chicago Stories 1998. Click here to learn more, and to download a free electronic copy.

and this is the poem
where the silver neon outlines of her dress come alive

and this is the poem
where I become the beastie boy I always dreamt I was

and this is the poem
where all of you give me tens
or I come out into the audience
and kick your fuckin' asses
like I always dreamt of doing

and this is the poem
where she dumps the guy in the baseball cap

and this is the poem
where she goes into the photo booth with me

and kisses me

and this is the poem
where I'm not a poet

and this is the poem
where I'm a tough guy

and this is the poem
when I walk up to her
and say,
“Hey, you don't know me,
but you're beautiful.
Come dance with me.
Come dance with me right now.”

and this is the poem
where she does so.

and this is the poem
with happy endings

and this is the poem
where the ogre chokes to death
when the witch is cooked in her own oven
when the wolf is chopped up by the lumberjack

and this is the poem
when the Grimm Brothers were alive

and
and
and this is the poem
of happy endings

and this is the poem
of mother goose
and we discuss
the historical allegories
to the British empire
and

and this is the poem
where you run off with me to Vegas
and marry me under the moon
of an Elvis impersonator
in the middle of the desert
because I love you
and

and why are you in the desert?
Why aren't you here?

and this is the poem
where I finally get to ask you that

and this is the poem
this is the
this is the poem
the poem
this is the poem
where we live
happily ever after.

Copyright 1998, Jason Pettus. All rights reserved. This was published under a Creative Commons license; click here for details. Contact: ilikejason [at] gmail [dot] com.