161. Lexi (Myshkin, 2021) · free verse

Why did I go into a strip club With an open heart? There’s not a lot of “why” In how I choose my next steps and stops These days. I just saw the billboard, Felt the $50 bill in my pocket, Felt the loneliness in my bones, Felt the excitement for a new experience And went in, First time in such a place In maybe twenty years. As I was paying the $5 cover charge. Lexi came to welcome me. “Is this your first time? Here you can see some titties, And order soda and juice. There you can order alcohol And sneak it in. Upstairs is for lap dances, One for $40, Three for $100, A half-hour for $250.” Then we sit down on a couch And just talk For a long time, Absolutely no rush, Absolutely no pressure To take out my wallet. These days, each time I am asked “Where are you from?” By interesting people, Interesting conversations ensue. I share about poetry and nature, Freedom and prayer, And I read her some of my poems, From my phone, In the dim light, Our heads sweetly nodding together. She’s never been west of Columbia, Missouri. Has two boys that now hold her back. The older, two years old, is autistic. I feel so much care, Budding friendship, For this young woman, Doing her best to fit into a world That isn’t always as kind As she is To the strangers she meets.