i sat back
all cleopatra beside kerouac
sure in my skin
wine glass in hand
noticing
women under 25
won’t sit their purses down
at parties
such a lovely quirk
they remain slung around their bodies
or clutched into an armpit
lashed to
a designer ball and chain
they haven’t been here
long enough
to not give a fuck
they don’t know everything will be fine
or trust life quite yet
i turned my claret sipping lips toward the king
sharing the revelation
he laughed into his sweetest smile
as he proclaimed
purses are a metaphor
for pussy
then complimented me
on the compact size
of my pocket book