Those girls I knew once…

those girls I knew once
they walked in shoes
they flip-flopped
clacked
and danced
they drank
and laughed
and rescued each other
whether rescue was something they wanted
or not

those girls I knew once
cried together too
for each other
for love
for estrangement
for too much of each other
and not enough

those girls I knew once
floated and lolled about
on Sundays
under palm trees
eating drunken spaghetti
and washing it down with
whatever that was
talking about inappropriate
bananas
cucumbers
whatever that was
she could do things
and that’s what mattered

hey remember
wipe-gate?
that mattered too
especially when you do it
wrong

those girls I knew once
had something or other to do with
Marines
or not
with bartenders
or not
with shots
and shots
and shots
or water

those girls I knew once
could have had a group discount on
some serious
counseling, man
but we only ever finally went
one by one
we were each other’s
counsel
when I knew those girls once

I’m all better now
but I still flip-flop
clack
and dance
and
I want to know those girls
again