Ricki Hunsinger

HONEYSUCKLE

And ye the walks have been
Where Maids have spent their hours
- Robert Herrick

I opened a book in
my neighbor’s bedroom,
with textbook drawings
of men and women,
undressed in strange
postures,
crawling, legs intertwined.
Women with long, colorless hair
outlined
in black ink,
tugging and putting lips
on men’s stamens
to draw out a single sweet drop.

The next day, I left the bench
where my mother
was sitting, watching
a softball game.
I went down the hill
to the yellow and white
honeysuckle bushes
that smelled like men’s necks.
I felt much older.

Ricki Hunsinger is an emerging writer from the Baltimore area. She is a graduate with a B.A. in English from Chatham University. In her spare time she enjoys eating fresh figs and sitting around on jungle gyms. She currently works as a library assistant.