Family Story Hour

Tuesday night at the library, pronounced
affectionately “liberry” by the chilluns
is a massacre, pronounced “misogynist”
by the female breed.

A small child threw a foot stool twice her size.
Although it would hardly be a foot stool, would it?
“Mackenzie! Apologize now!”

In the “liberry,” as the chilluns would say,
the massacre is most likely nine thighs
deep and about twelve necks wide.
That’s a conservative figure. Fuck you! You’re
a conservative figure. Shhh. This is a “liberry."

Mackenzie, the child’s name, pronounced
with a “K” and a “Z,” would have
none of it. Apologize?
Go to hell, Mom!
She didn’t say that, I said it for her.
The small dog child let me look her in
the eye.
Mackenzie with a “M,” a “K,” and a “Z”:
Threw a fuckin’ chair!

Dottie Parker said something about: “Good
job giving birth, I knew you had it in you.”

But on a Tuesday night at the library,
Pronounced “liberry” by the unruly
balls-to-the-misogynistic-wall-chilluns,
who throw slightly larger furniture pieces,
Who stare down “liberrians.” Oooh, you so
steely! Here’s to you.