THE BATS ARE HAVING NON-PENETRATIVE SEX IN A CHURCH
Like Christian kids,
hopped up on guilt
and hormones, looking
for a loophole—
the bat’s penis is too big,
a scientist says
in the article, and
the tip is heart-shaped.
What god
of ridiculousness
blew into his kazoo
to make this morning
of sensational
headlines and half
-burnt toast?
There’s laundry
to fold and
an appointment
to cancel. The dog
won’t stop licking
what doesn’t appear
to be a stain
from the blanket.
What’s the difference
between making
love and making
do. What does
bat foreplay look
like? How do you
ask for touch,
but not too much.
—from Poets Respond
November 26, 2023
__________
Lexi Pelle: “When I read the story about bats having non-penetrative sex in a church I knew it needed to be in a poem. It made me laugh, but also made me think about the lengths (pun intended) scientists will go to understand the world’s mysteries, which feels related to the process of writing poetry.” (web)
