o T h 3 R * !

I’m a woman in the way Eileen Myles is a Kennedy

May 29, 2023

Hey! What’s up? Hello! This is my response to Eliot’s piece and to Larissa’s response to Eliot’s book, “Ponyboy”, and honestly also to Eliot’s instagram story of Eileen Myles yesterday and ohmygoddd please don’t ask us to tick anymore boxes this week!!!

xx K

**o T h 3 R * !**

I’m a woman 

in the way Eileen Myles is a Kennedy 

and I’m an American 

in the way I’m a woman like 

it wouldn’t be totally wrong to call me one 

but in lieu of paying the fine 

to fully expatriate I’ve just tried 

to put a lot of distance between us 

and to call me a girl would be accurate 

in the way Karen’s boobs can tell the weather 

but to call me a woman would be reaching 

in the way “here” is not a preposition per se 

and I’m non-binary in the sense 

that void is a bouquet 

and I’m a pony in the way everyone thinks 

I’m a workhorse but really I just wanna

be left alone to graze on the side of the road 

and I guess what I’m saying is 

I’m non-conforming in the sense that

I can’t pick a box 

of cereal from the aisles back home because 

nothing’s natural and everything’s infinite 

but I want to choose if it’s Cheerios 

or Lucky Charms or Froot Loops today 

because nobody can snap 

crackle or pop on my behalf.

Your poetry homework for the week is to continue this never-ending ping pong match and submit an entry to our “PONYBOY” Writing Contest!!! Details below. Winner gets PTK fame and glory a free copy of Eliot’s book!

🎁 “Ponyboy” Writing Contest:

Enter to win a FREE copy of PONYBOY! Terms and Conditions apply.

Writing Contest:

Comment a response on any of the ELIOT DUNCAN X POETRY TRAPPER KEEPER Substack posts OR email your response to poetrytrapperkeeper@gmail.com. This response can be a poem, reflection, anecdote, story - whatever you are moved to write!!
All entries must be received by 10pm GMT on June 7th 2023.
Eliot will choose the winner, and we’ll announce it on June 9th, 2023.