Elizabeth Sandifer and Penn Wiggins

Penn: Behind a Door

Added 2025-07-31 23:22:43 +0000 UTC

When I was reviewing Janis Ian's record Between the Lines for pride week, I came across an absolutely horrid interview where Ian was hounded about her sexuality. By 'came across' here, I mean "went to the university library and played with their microfilm machine," which meant I had the article all printed out. My scissors got itchy, and so I made this poem. It's been sitting on my computer just waiting for me ever since.

Today I'm waiting on edits for a couple things (an essay on salads, and another about insomnia, both of which will be finished soon) so its number was finally up.

Transcript:

The troubles started early on.
Come to my door, baby
I don't mind if you/told everybody to fuck off.
you wanted to find out what/She was

sexual, homosexual--it's all love/left sitting at the foot of/bigotry.
a lovely flexible instrument
Suddenly I was alone

I suppose, if anything,
Contemplative people listen to/a political statement.
"Hello, World. I'm bisexual."
It's boring.

When did love come along?
Never. Probably never.
because they wanted me to keep/behind a door
it's bullshit. People/wrote a lot of terrible songs.
maybe not wanting/too much too soon.

whatever, "darling,"
don't come back.
☐