D. Dina Friedman
Rules for Behaving on the Airport Line
Secure the pet ferret the scanner failed to find
snuggled in your undies, ignore the smoke
from the three-ounce tube in the zip-lock bag,
but if they ask, explain: explosive ointments
for your cellular membranes. Let your story
rival skyscrapers, which blaze red alert,
taunting terrorists in a world of rodents. Buy a uniform
and scarlet fishnets; remember
your grandmother’s body-blocking
view as you snuck under the subway turnstile. Consider
how many cells there might be in a single sloughing of skin,
the candy wrapper on the yellow footprint,
as you do what the man orders:
facing the faceless figure, lift your vulnerable arms
and think of Easter—and Patti Smith
exposing her body hair, or your grandmother’s heels
clicking on the Macy’s floor,
as you sat on Santa’s lap, pretending
you were Catholic. Can they really see you
naked inside the plastic box?
D. Dina Friedman is the author of the two young adult novels. Escaping Into the Night (Simon and Schuster, 2006) was recognized as a Notable Book for Older Readers by the Association of Jewish Libraries, and a Best Books for Young Adults nominee by the American Library Association. Playing Dad’s Song (FSG, 2006) was recognized as a Bank Street College of Education Best Book. She is also the author of the poetry chapbook Wolf in the Suitcase (Finishing Line Press 2019). Her work has appeared in Calyx, Common Ground Review, Lilith, Wordpeace, Pinyon, Negative Capability, New Plains Review, Steam Ticket, Bloodroot, Inkwell, and Pacific Poetry, among other journals. Friedman holds an MFA from Lesley University. She lives in Hadley, Mass., and teaches at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
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