White Lipstick

i o u

13 i o u aunt yvonne was marcelling my hair she gave me a quarter to keep still i put it in my mouth i don’t know why god knows there’s nothing tasty about metal i was sitting there clicking the silver against my teeth turning it over and over with my tongue as auntie parted and curved her way down the side of my head somehow i swallowed the thing only it got stuck half way down my throat i started choking and turning blue aunt yvonne reached right down there with her long nails and lifted it out i named my first child after her actually i think it was a buffalo nickel ...