In Shreveport Louisiana There Was

Kristen Lenea Ryberg from: The Air Force Brat Series

In Shreveport LA There Was

Perry Como’s White Christmas, dreaming 
on repeat in the rust shag living room

Dad’s flick-wrist, thumb run over Zippo’s knurled gear
coalesced lighter fluid to flame cigarette

some kind of fiery fixture as smoke poured from his mouth
unfurled his words, there were dark skies 

tornado sirens and heat ripples over cotton fields 
bursting the prickly brown bolls

they bobbed at twilight, there were  
fireflies blink-blurring in mores code
jumped for and jarred, our sacrificial rings

there was the new girl wearing sizes ending in X
Twisted to Chubby Checkers near 
the cocktail table

there was long episodes with Barbie and Ken, constant wardrobe selections or 
placed on top of each other naked

there was sorting rattling pink and mint plastic rods 
passing tissue paper wrappers to mom at the kitchen table

the rotten egg scent, as she parts and rolls, 
her promise of curls like the lady on the box 

her red lipstick-marked cigarette 
at pause
shriek of ironing-board 

her steel dragon, under her command 
for the daily pressing
crease-crisp his green fatigues.