Patience is a virgin, she said
and that’s how she heard it
and never called it virtue,
her metaphorical hymen
keeping her dress down
and bracketed by thighs so tight
she almost forgets what she’s waiting for
and why that aspirin is between her knees.
You can’t run or swim or play tennis
with a pill sandwiched by your legs
for so long only the press
of that circle marking your skin
has importance, and so much is lost
in that long wait.
***at dVerse today, we are turning phrases on their heads.
Susan Daniels Poetry 
Blew me away! O, my goodness. Aspirin between her knees!
Noel, No lie, she was not the brightest girl in the world (best friend in high school), but she was the most tenacious young woman I ever met. She might have heard the phrase wrong, but she was sticking to what she said, no matter what. Makes me smile, still, all these years later.
hahahahaha – haven’t heard the aspirin phrase since I was in Catholic gradeschool
That’s where the phrase belongs, methinks 😉
So good to see you back and in wonderful form. Great read Susan. >KB
Thanks, KB. Hope this made you laugh!
brilliant –> “and that’s how she heard it
and never called it virtue,
her metaphorical hymen
keeping her dress down”
Thank you, Stacy. Still smiling over this memory.
Great twisted phrase. The aspirin between the knees saying only make me think of ways WITH the aspirin there. 😉
Hahaha–now, that’s the way to deal with that phrase. Creativity is such a wonderful thing…
I mean, really. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. 🙂
I can’t believe that is from real life (Patience is virgin). Quite an interesting and distinctive pair of patience poems, I loved both of them.
Aw, thank you! Hey–I think we are neighbors of a sort–I am near Buffalo.
I lived in Buffalo and Cheektowaga for quite a few years, but have been in the Rochester area for the last 12. Do you do any readings? Somehow i had missed your John Wayne poem before, I loved that one too. There are so many interesting writers that I follow, that it’s hard to keep up.
Yes, I do! Not many–only when I am forced to do so. I am so glad you liked my Wayne poem, as well. Nice to “meet” you, neighbor.
She was odd, she was quirky- but you show her respect. You give a rounded view. Also I like the sheer eccenticity of it all.
Thank you! She was a lot of fun.
patience is a virgin – made me smile.. and in a way fun that she stuck to it all these years – some things hinder more than help sometimes.. maybe we see it only in the rearview how it is or could have been.. she sounds interesting for sure…smiles
She was a complete riot, Claudia! I am sure things she said/did will come up in the poetry again.
This was a lot of fun.. and have never heard about the aspiring between the knees… lot’s of fun.
Yes–as Alice said–thinking of ways to work around the aspirin 😉
I know some people who are literal about things like that, even holding on to them when they get it wrong. What a super write for the prompt. Thanks tons for joining in. I’m still smiling!
Thanks, Shanyn. Wonderful prompt for today–thanks for it.
Oh that is a really cool, fun poem ….made smile a lot and ‘she almost forgets what she’s waiting for’ for me is the pivot on which the whole thing swings
Thank you! I have been carrying that phrase in my head for years. Glad you liked this.
ha. that could ba a whole other prompt…the things we heard wrong and yet still believed…yes, you miss out on quite a bit of life with that asprin between your knees but there would def be some benefit to bit higher moral standard in our world…there has to be a balance there somewhere…
I am all for balance, Brian. Smiling big…
Now that’s a sack full of images I’d sling over my shoulder and walk down the road. Sweet stuff SD. Covers a heck of a lot in a few words. I really don’t see the word hymen in enough poetry.
Snickering over here. Yep, this might be a first for me. Hymens and aspirin.
Two beautiful words, I might add. The combination… I’m not so sure. I think I will refrain from speculating, might lead to trouble.
Definitely a wise move!
I don’t mind waiting as long as I know the end and purpose of it ~ Aspirin between her legs, that imagery made me pause for a bit ~ she must have been quite a character ~
Oh, Grace, she certainly was.
Made me laugh, it’s funny what we cling to, even if it’s incorrect.
Yes! We do get attached to ideas, don’t we. Makes life interesting.
I honestly felt I was on a high-wire ! You’re outstanding !
Thanks, Deb. Hope I made you smile.
Wonderful write Susan – made me smile.
I can remember the aspirin…not that i was naive enough to believe it…but I was naive!
Anna :o]
Oh, I was naive, as well, once upon a time, but never tried the aspirin trick.
Ooh, so playful and biting. Love it.
Thanks, Nelle! When I saw the prompt, the memory leapt to the forefront and I was snickering the entire time I wrote this 😉
Whatever happened to this Aspirin Girl?
Well, at some point she removed the aspirin. Married with four kids. 😉
I think it would be a real trick to hold an aspirin between the knees!! Undoubtedly a task the priest devised. Smiles.
Yes–but I am sure we sinful humans could figure out a work-around, if we really wanted to 😉
That’s what she heard. A young girl told me that the preacher said we are all heirs of God…but in her mind she spelled it hairs. She told me she thought the preacher was really weird. Ha.
Your poem is great. This I find amazingly good.
Patience is a virgin, she said
and that’s how she heard it
and never called it virtue,
her metaphorical hymen
keeping her dress down
Thank you, Debi!
Excellent! I had a relative who used to hear phrases incorrectly, bless her. This reminds me of her 🙂
😉 thank you!
What an unexpected direction which now that you’ve done it, makes perfect sense. And the emphasis on virtue without comphrension and value to the individual, spot on. Took me back to all those talks about getting pregnant instead of talking about loving and valuing myself.
That is so true–you really “got” this poem.
Thanks for making me smile, had to giggle. Never heard of the asprin thing maybe its because I’m a brit.
Hee, hee, thanks.
She could be ‘right’ you know, when viewed against your first Patience poem. The waiting, as only a virgin could. A brilliant metaphor, Susan with tongue-in-cheek humour as only you know how! 🙂