Oh the Things I Would Say (We were Witches) by Ally Malinenko

Oh the thing I would say
if I said everything I wanted
like when you asked why
I wasn’t coming to the party
and instead of making up some
excuse
I would just say
because I don’t want to
because small talk is annoying
because parties are frustrating
because the music is always terrible
because he talks too loud about nothing.

Oh the things I would say
if I said everything I wanted
like fuck everyone who made me
feel like shit in high school
and fuck the higher road
and being a better person
and maybe even
fuck empathy
which is something I swear I live by.

Oh the things I would say
if I said everything I wanted
like I would tell that girl on the train
weary, eyes half closed
slouched in her bucket seat
that she might be
the most beautiful thing I have ever seen
that in my head I call her Leanne
that I want to touch the back of her hand
to wake her
kiss her
and ask if she would like tea
because I hate coffee
which would be something I would say a lot
if I said everything I wanted to say.

And I would definitely say
fuck off
to the guys who want to argue about women
and where we belong and what we are
and if it’s okay to build a plastic model
of our bodies just for study
because they do not trust
that 28 day cycle

which reminds me I haven’t had a period
in three years because of all the drugs
but when I did,
man,
I could pull like the moon against the tide,
synching all my girlfriend’s periods to mine
like we were witches

and we were witches
and we had between us
between these legs
and these arms
between these ribs
we had the power of gods
to make
to destroy
at will
and when I held in my hand
her hand
I knew it
Oh that

that is what I would say
if I said everything I wanted to say.