Poem-a-Day DBF Countdown: Collin Kelley

The Aug. 26 cover story “Monsters of Poetry” puts the spotlight on the poet’s art to preview the fourth annual Decatur Book Festival, to be held Sep. 4-6. This blog will count down the days to the festival by posting a poem each day by a different writer, to let the verse speak for itself. For Aug. 27, “Why I Want To Be Pam Grier” by Collin Kelley.

“Why I Want To Be Pam Grier”

I want to pull a gun out of my hair

and blow your head off.

I want to wear black leather knee high boots

and plant my ten inch heel up your sorry ass.

I want to flim you and flam you and just say

goddamn you,

while I slit your throat with my knife.

I want to be exploited, overworked

and underpaid, but look damn good doing it,

cause I’m always getting laid.

I want to be an idol, a nobody,

a whatever happened to her,

then put on my Kangol hat, my tight black suit,

look better than I did twenty years ago,

and smoke you one more time good and proper.

I want to cross 110th Street with a bag full of cash,

and one last sweet kiss from the man

who actually gave a damn.

I want to drive away into the morning light,

headed for Spain, hurting like hell,

but with my head up

and the taste of him on my lips.

(Originally appeared in Blaze and the anthology Red Light: Superheroes, Saints and Sluts, Arsenal Pulp Press)

Collin Kelley is the author of three poetry collections, After the Poison, Slow To Burn and Better To Travel, and the new novel Conquering Venus.