The Bellysmacker Kids

by Carolyn Gaines

The bellysmacker kids
go barefoot
eat crayons
and dirt
burn ants
throw toads
spit soda pop
and bleed kool-aid

they move in loose packs
ignore toys
and couldn’t give a fuck
about christmas or disneyland
they hate school and
organization of any kind
the bellysmacker kids
burn out at 8
retire at 10
and don’t trust anyone over 12

they watch TV for the commercials
jump off roofs
light gasoline on driveways
and would rather fight than switch
they like having the house to themselves
they chew band-aids
and read pornography
throw knives at trees
and axes at clouds
and they sleep in lumps
on wadded blankets.