Beady eyed girl in linen skirt,
oh saint!
Your father will beat you
for using the bicycle.
I’ll never tell. Tins
of ribbon candy are your
salvation. An orange for
your kingdom. An orange for you
to release those frogs
and give me the rubber bands.
Another orange if you promise
to steer clear of cats
and pine cones and turpentine.
Oh, young saint, Mexican saint,
saintly skin thin and tough,
saintly beads for saintly eyes
that plot. Oh, Ann Marie,
saint of clean laundry
and skinned knees.
Oh Ann.