Different Slants

© 4/17/12

 

 

Spring 1966

Sixteen

Need a job

Wandering hot streets

I spy

Baskin-Robins!

A sign:

Help Wanted

 

Mandarin Chocolate Sherbet

Mint Chocolate Chip

Dark Chocolate

Jesus!!!

 

Panting

I chance it

Walk in

And see her

 

An older woman

 

Twenty-two

Short

Big brown eyes

Built

Name tag: Miriam

 

Ok

They don’t have to pay me

 

She sits at this little desk

Nice legs

 

There’s a line

Bunch a mopes

I can do this

 

I inhale the Chocolate

Failure:

Not an option

 

My competition

Peels off

Crash and Burn

She’s tough

Yet soft red lips

Soft everything

 

My turn

She’s on the phone

Muttering angrily

About Pierre

 

Her

“God-damned

French-Canadian

Catholic

Husband”

 

Leaving her

Again

To clean up the

Damn Freezers

Alone

At night

 

Her

Beautiful face

Steaming  

 

Her

Stunning chest

Heaving

 

Hell

I’ll pay her

To

Work here

 

Wait a minute!

 

Her

God-damned

French-Canadian

Catholic

Husband?

 

Then I see it:

The shining

Gold

Jewish Star

Embracing

Her

Fine

Smooth

Kissable   

Neck

 

An idea looms

 

This is War

 

She likes my application

Asks me:

When can I start?

 

All the others said:

Right now!

 

I said:

Sorry, Ma’am

Not until

After

Passover

 

She looks at my

Dark eyes

Dark hair

Olive skin

 

She senses:

Revenge!

 

I get the job

God Bless the Catholics!

 

I get

 To clean out the

Big Freezers

All  

Alone

With

 

Miss Jewish

Double-Scoop

Ice Cream Queen

1966

After her store closes

Every Night

 

We get

Really cold

 

We get

All wet

 

Her tight uniform

Unbuttoned

Just enough

 

Her sweet sweat

Trickling

Down

Down

Down

 

I’m dying

 

And still

Still!

I even get

Paid

To do this!

 

At night

Exhausted

I fall into bed

Dreaming

As always

 of this:

 

Giant  

Sugar

Ice cream cone

 

Waves

Of

Creamy white

Liquid Marshmallow

Over-Flowing 

 the

Rounded edges

 

Dark Chocolate

Sprinkles

Raining from the Sky

 

And

Always

Curled up

Within it

 

Is

Miriam

 

 

 

About the writer and his other life in Skokie, Illinois:

My store Twitter: @MagazineMuseum

My stories Twitter: @ChicagoKatzman 

Bob Katzman’s Magazine Museum: 100,000 periodicals back to 1576!
Wall of Rock: 50 years of cool Rock periodicals on display & for sale
4906 Oakton St. (8000 north and 4900 west) Skokie, Ill 60077
(847)677-9444 Mon-Fri: 10 am to 5 pm / Weekends: 10 am to 2 pm

Katzman’s Publishing Company site: www.FightingWordsPubco.com
Katzman’s online non-fiction stories: www.DifferentSlants.com

Poetry? For me, writing poetry is not an option.
It’s a response to emotion. Like cigarette smoke,
it’s fast-flowing, shapeless and with little time to capture it.
Writing poetry in an imperative. I say what I feel compelled to say.

I sell my five published books via mail order and accept major credit cards.
I don’t use PayPal. I just talk to people on the phone.
Fast, reliable service. Read my stories and see what you think.
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Feel free to call me at the number above.