The boys talk in slang
or some kind of shorthand
words thrown into a heap
they dive in and
pick them out:
half phrases,
left out subjects,
verbs with original
conjugations,
word and for real?
punctuates
and accentuates
the teenage tall tales
they tell each other
on the A train
after school today
I listen and
ignore the words,
I focus on the pause,
the joy, the smile
in the sound
of the girlβs name:
Jesse, he said twice in one breath
For real?
Word.
I think his name is Rashon
And he’s in love
Leslie Dianne π
The Boys Talk in Slang
Author Reading
About the Author
Leslie Dianne is a poet, novelist, screenwriter, playwright and performer whose work has been acclaimed internationally in places such as the Harrogate Fringe Festival in Great Britain, The International Arts Festival in Tuscany, Italy and at La Mama in New York City. Her stage plays have been produced in NYC at The American Theater of Actors, The Raw Space, The Puerto Rican Traveling Theater and The Lamb’s Theater. She holds a BA in French Literature from CUNY. Her poems have appeared in Noctivant Press, The Wild Word, Trouvaille Review, Moida, Sparks of Calliope and The Elevation Review and are forthcoming in Whimsical Poet and Boston Accent Lit. Her poetry was recently nominated for a Pushcart Prize.