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  • Rough Cut Staff

Charlene Fleming, An Ode


Paramount

Charlene is Boston.

One cheek, smart

The other, brash

One side (of the river), art

The other, trash.


Charlene, you say, or Charles?

A woman runs through it, but

More comfortable in bars.

The center cannot hold;

With mere Charlene loosed on this world.

A city that’s too good

For someone who’s too good for it.

It’s bell epic, Mickey, not Belley ep-oh-cue.

No, it’s bell ep-ock.

The joke is on you.

The corrector corrected.

The culture shocked.

Charlene is not.

Better.


Charlene won’t brawl with you, Charlene will out-box.

You.

Another shot.

Who?

Head

Body

A chess game; Charlene is never sorry.

Head-body

Head-body

Her hair, her voice, her lip

They torch.

Get the fuck off her motherfucking porch.

Sugar-Ray?

He tripped.

Head.

Body.


Not satisfied with

Her bar

Not impressed by

Your car

Should have won the

Os-car

Sorry Alice.


Charlene deserved.

Better

Charlene is.

Better


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