Thalia Chaltas - Today's Topic

Today's Topic
by
Thalia Chaltas

The Subject of Sex
comes
waddling proudly into Biology
on five of its legs,
the sixth dangling damaged
from
previous encounters.

Dana looks up and gasps,
flush infusing,
mouth slightly ajar.

Kevin leers
and plucks inside his mouth
with a finger,
making a POP.

Noreen mutters darkly
from under her bangs.

Otis pecks calculations,
certain that next period’s exam
is far more important.

We’ve seen this Subject before
but never up close.
I try gauging who knows the most
from their reactions.

For sure it isn’t me.
Maybe Noreen.

Mr. Rose drones sequences of words like
engorgement
penetration
spermatozoa
and
NuvaRings.

And just in front of him,
The Subject of Sex
displays and preens,
rotating slowly to show us
all sides,
shaking that sixth leg
like a third-base coach
waving us
home.

©Thalia Chaltas. All rights reserved.

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One of the many things I love about poetry is that there are really no subjects it can't cover and no age ranges it can't be written for. Thalia Chaltas clearly isn't writing for a younger crowd here, but her images and turns of phrase and focus on choosing the exactly right words... well... it's what makes for poetry I love to read regardless of where it's aimed.

If you've read Thalia's novels in verse, you'll know that she often deals with difficult subject matter and always in a way that, at least for me, commands attention rather than pushes me away. Her ability to give insight into characters with tremendous brevity and clarity... often surprising me with what she reveals... is something I wish I shared, I must say.

I love the perspective Thalia brings to the issues she deals with, and whether she's writing in verse or going full on prose, I look forward to whatever comes next. And in the meantime, I'm thrilled to have her here today as part of 30 Poets/30 Days.

Yesterday, Jon Agee gave us High Jump. Tomorrow... Stephen W. Cahill and Scatterpillars! For more on 30 Poets/30 Days and ways to follow along, please click here.