Two Poems, by Jessica Lee

MARRIAGE

            a found poem from The Donna Reed Show

“If you win, you lose.
Add some butter.
I’ll either convince you
that you can be happy
or you’ll convince me
I’m miserable. I dreamed
of being a famous
actress once. Now
I get to play
supporting role
to the greatest actor
of all time. I’ll swear
on a stack of groceries:
I have no regrets…
but does this collar suit me?
There’s a difference between I
like it and I like it.”

THE FIRST TIME WE MET

            a found poem from The Donna Reed Show

“Men are like fish, dear.
They all end up getting
caught if we use the right

bait. We picnicked
for three weeks while
the lilacs bloomed

and the birds sang
It was like a scene
from a movie. We’re

searching for an eye
witness but men
have complexes about height.

For our anniversary
he gave me a plaque
for distinguished service.

Do you really think
it happened that way?
As a matter of fact,

it was a scene
from a movie—Spell
Bound, I think.

You can’t create
romance, but
black jersey

always clings.”

Jessica Lee is the poetry editor of Sweet Tree Review. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in American Literary Review, BOAAT, The Boiler, DIAGRAM, and Fugue, among others. Her poem, "I confess, I don't know what to call this," was a finalist for the 2017 So to Speak Poetry Contest, judged by Natalie Diaz.