I was slutty before the shorts
now I’m a force
with tattooed thighs
and years of deprecating dialogue
strutting around
in my slut shorts

they were a source of power in the 80s
like Burt Reynolds
like Burt Reynolds mustache
like Burt Reynolds in a convertible
people thought that a single decade
could contain the power
of slut shorts

I wear them at home
I wear them at funerals
I wear them at coffee shops, dog parks,
  city blocks, bars, bakeries, rest stops, trains,
   gardens and cars
I wear them at Trader Joe’s
and everyone knows
me in my slut shorts

It’s almost spring
so it’s almost summer
and nothing can stop me
in my slut shorts