The only time he’ll ever blaspheme. Lie
because he knows you did, too. You’ll betray
— not pray, ask God if you should stay/comply,
ride 34 hours away, study, stay
with 30,000 strangers, believe
in what you know to be untrue, a book
of prophet boys you’re no longer naive
enough to be deceived because he took
that from you. Bed, lap, knees, pleas, seen you beg
him his child whore for more mistreatment. Will
not understand, it makes him stop. Peg
him Puritan — just pain that you should feel.
“God says I should not go to BYU.”
“God’s wrong. He doesn’t know you like I do.”
About Kristin Garth
Kristin Garth is a kneesock enthusiast and a Best of the Net nominated sonnet stalker. Her poetry has stalked magazines like Glass, Yes, Five:2: One, Anti-Heroin Chic, Former Cactus, Occulum, Luna Luna, & many more. She has a chapbook Pink Plastic House (Maverick Duck Press), two forthcoming: Pensacola Girls (Bone & Ink Press, Sept 2018) and Shakespeare for Sociopaths (The Hedgehog Poetry Press Jan 2019). Her full length, Candy Cigarette, is forthcoming April 2019 (The Hedgehog Poetry Press). Follow her on Twitter: (@lolaandjolie), her weekly poetry column (https://www.rhythmnbone.com/sonnetarium) and her website (kristingarth.wordpress.com).