Hot Tamale (by Misti Rainwater-Lites)

Hot Tamale
by Misti Rainwater-Lites

I am a hot ass Mexican bitch.
I’m not Hispanic.
I’m not Latina.
I’m
not Spanish.
I’m bueno taco.
I’m chupacabra chica.
I’m hot
tamale Good Golly Miss Molly
Gee Wally Va Va Vroom.
You might
think I’m white
because of my beige skin
black hair and blue eyes.
You
might be fooled by my
toddler’s grasp of the language.
Don’t be
stupid.
Don’t be so American.
Don’t assume so fucking much.
Look
deeper, gringo.
Look into my Dia de los Muertos tattoo.
I am
every inch the Aztec witch.
Now amigo.
Now you know.

* * *

Misti Rainwater-Lites
has
chapbooks available from Kendra Steiner Editions, Deadbeat
Press, Scintillating Publications and Erbacce Press. Misti’s newest
full-length poetry collections, Blank Cake and
Sloppy Mouth,
will be available this spring from Coatlism Press and American
Mettle
Books,
respectively.  Follow Misti’s blog, Ubiquitous
Dandelion,
for updates and general goofiness.

 

Death Picnic (by Misti Rainwater-Lites)

Death Picnic
by Misti Rainwater-Lites

reddest roses climb their chaos
up my legs
around my ass
my
breasts
my aching throat
this spring I have been
crowned His
Favorite Dead Thing

ants nibble my chicken fried toes
lizards
drown in melted chocolate
ice cream river
meat pies rot in the
basket
the blanket is decorated
with my cast bones

he sees a
wicked orchid
in his next week
decadent with
fragrance

* * *

Misti Rainwater-Lites
has
chapbooks available from Kendra Steiner Editions, Deadbeat
Press, Scintillating Publications and Erbacce Press. Misti’s newest
full-length poetry collections, Blank Cake and
Sloppy Mouth,
will be available this spring from Coatlism Press and American
Mettle Books,
respectively.  Follow Misti’s blog, Ubiquitous
Dandelion,
for updates and general goofiness.

 

Yes I Would (by Misti Rainwater-Lites)

Yes I Would
by Misti Rainwater-Lites

I would drink all your beer unless it was a beer I didn’t like. I would
ignore your cats and dogs and fish and leprechauns. I would talk to your
plants. I would play your guitar. I would sing “Mack The Knife” and
“Return To Sender” until you threw things at me. I would rip pictures
out of your magazines for collages. I would sniff your Kiwi shoe polish
and Pine-Sol and take all your Benadryl. I would wash my hands after
flushing your toilet. I would bake you a special cake but not a lasagna.
I would play with your toys and take pictures of your toys and ask you
if I could take your toys home. I would Windex your windows and bleach
your sinks and tub. I would blast “Music From The Edge Of Heaven” and
“Purple Rain” and “Odelay” and “Fever To Tell” and “Live Through This”
and “The Beauty Process” and “Abbey Road” and “Some Girls” from your
stereo. I would read you my books and poems until you threw things at
me. I would ask for directions to the nearest donut shop. I would ask
for directions to the nearest dollar store. I would get drunk and ask
you to drive me to Wal-Mart. I would ask you to buy me the newest US
Weekly and the purple package of maxi pads because those are the biggest
ones. I would make you take me to Mexico and buy me a taco and a
margarita and a Mexican bandito marionette and a black velvet Elvis
painting. I would kick your ass at Skee-Ball and Scrabble. I would get a
gun and shoot watermelons in your backyard. I would “borrow” your first
edition of The Death Notebooks. I would “borrow” your painting of Big
Foot pissing on the Alamo. I would run into the room screaming,”Your
potty just told me to shit or get off the pot in Ozzy Osbourne’s voice!”
I would knock on your head and say, “McFly! Anybody home?” I would ask
you to teach me how to play chess. I would ask you to teach me how to
play the piano. I would tap dance on your last nerve and you would be
glad as hell to see me go.

* * *

Misti Rainwater-Lites has
chapbooks available from Kendra Steiner Editions, Deadbeat
Press, Scintillating Publications and Erbacce Press. Misti’s newest
full-length poetry collections, Blank Cake and Sloppy Mouth,
will be available this spring from Coatlism Press and American Mettle Books,
respectively.  Follow Misti’s blog, Ubiquitous Dandelion,
for updates and general goofiness.

 

Rock Bottom Boogie (by Misti Rainwater-Lites)

Rock Bottom Boogie
by Misti Rainwater-Lites

on the jelly roll rag again
and the cell phone is lost
with
the infrequent flyer’s
reward coupons

baby boy climbs on
Poppy’s
big red tractor
all by hisself
and says I’m A Cowboy
Man

husband says
No Food Next Month
wife says
Will Work
Black Magic Money Spell
Pronto, Daddy-O

this is not
for
beginners
this rock bottom boogie

* * *

Misti Rainwater-Lites
has chapbooks available from Kendra Steiner Editions, Deadbeat Press,
Scintillating Publications and Erbacce Press. Misti’s newest full-length
poetry collections, Blank Cake and Sloppy
Mouth, will be available this spring from Coatlism Press and American
Mettle Books, respectively.  Follow Misti’s blog, Ubiquitous
Dandelion, for updates and general goofiness.

 

Basket of Jellies (by Misti Rainwater-Lites)

Basket of Jellies
by Misti Rainwater-Lites
 
“if you understand your painting before making it, there is no reason to make it”
      (Dalí)

Grandma wanted me to give you
this basket of jellies.
Welcome to the neighborhood.
That is not my truck.
I could not afford a single wheel.
I am here from a faraway there
that began with one skip.
The cool ass circle jerk
boys and girls giggle
at my blood stains
and ill-fitting bloomers.
My lisp is too sincere.
Yes, you see, I am irony deficient.
I’m not interested in earning respect
or brownie points.
I like to name things.
I like to kiss the cold hand
of the truth and give it
pony rides.
My vitamin C injected ojos
can see for considerable acres.
I know the horses.
I see where they go.
I don’t bet on horses.
Horses can surprise you.
Sometimes horses surprise you.
Usually they don’t.
Grandma wanted me to give you
this presentation.
It was her dying wish.

* * *

Misti Rainwater-Lites has chapbooks available from Kendra Steiner Editions, Deadbeat Press, Scintillating Publications and Erbacce Press. Misti’s newest full-length poetry collections, Blank Cake and Sloppy Mouth, will be available this spring from Coatlism Press and American Mettle Books, respectively.  Follow Misti’s blog, Ubiquitous Dandelion, for updates and general goofiness.