Track 14: complicated engines by DJ Wolfinsohn

in that church in NYC

circa maybe 83

I put a dime in a box

and out came a match 

stamped with a face 

(it was Jesus, I guess?)

lit two of the candles 

for two of my saints—

Cindy and Kate—

brave new girls with voices like 

complicated engines.

brave new girls with TV show names like

Suzie and Anita

Mavis and Betty

and Jackie

oh!

not a damsel / no distress

and not

ever falling in love, L-U-V

(New York Dolls, R-I-P)

hey could we light a candle for that old world?

could we light another for me?

sixteen and sitting in French Three, picking 

French names from a French dictionary?

the other girls picked kitten names like

Bernadette and Yvette. 

Margaux and Brigitte.

but not me, no, not I— 

(who had just discovered a certain yellow LP)

—I picked Mavis.

---

DJ Wolfinsohn’s first published work was a riot grrrl ‘zine. Her fiction and poetry can be found in Gone Lawn, HAD, Variant Lit, Brawl, Lost Balloon, Jake, and on her website, debbywolfinsohn.com. Her ‘zine can be found in the rock ‘n roll hall of fame in Cleveland. She currently lives in a ranch house in Austin with many rescue pets, rescue plants, too much yarn, and her wonderful family.