Monday, June 27, 2016

Tonia Kalouria

BIG BROTHER IS STILL WATCHING YOU

"How did your presentation go?"
Said Phyl, "It went quite well."
"The slow kids love to choose their words;
they write from bell to bell!"

"They get to choose which words to learn!
And plus, how many, too?"

"Oh, yeah–for Extra Crédito?–
no end to what they’ll do!"

"Oh, too much tea," then Phyllis joked:
"Back in a flash–or ‘flush.’"
"Must hit the Little Teachers Room;
pay later –gotta rush"!

"Wait! Do you have your SEX ID,
Ms. Teacher of the Year?"

"It’s in my purse somewhere, I think."
(Both outcomes garnered fear.)

"Oh, darn!" cried Phyl, "a Guard is there";
"Must use the MENS for sure.
But I sure hope it’s vacant 'cause
this ‘guy’ is quite demure."

Phyl flashed her blue ID with "Phil,"
heels tap toward empty stall;
two bulky, boorish brutes appear–
fixin’ to start a brawl...

Phyl’s hair was soaked, her dress was ripped.
"Bitch got what he deserved!"
The blood and panties gagging her?
Transphobic Justice served.


Gerald So "Big Brother is Still Watching You":



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Tonia confesses: "If you don't think the bathroom edict that transgenders use birth certificate designations instead of Obama guidelines won't foment transphobic hate crimes, the Ku Klux Klan begs to differ. KKK in one Alabama city is using the issue as a (successful) recruiting tool! Their fliers suggest the 'really confused' trans should 'Use a tree.' What’s next? Only the pinus palustris* for trans females, and peach trees for trans males?"


TONIA KALOURIA is a retired Spanish teacher who played psychiatrist Tonia Wilson on Passions from 2002 to 2007. Her book, Aerobic Poetry: Critter Connections Collection, features humorous, rhythmic poems meant to be read aloud to help lower blood pressure and improve lung function. She has also published poetry in The Litchfield Review, Common Threads, and The Senior Years. She lives with her devoted husband of many years on the West Coast and has two wonderful sons and a lovely granddaughter.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Wow such great rhythm. This feels almost like a bit of humor which drew me in, only to be met at the end with a powerful verbal one-two punch and mental images that sickened me; very unexpected, and which one would imagine may mirror the fears or anticipations of those who experience and may suffer with this dilemma day to day, just going about the business of their routine, normal lives. Must be at the ready; at this juncture, one cannot possibly rule out any potential outcome. Imagine that?