The Triumph of Hugh Hefner

Hurtled his roadster straight through the great books

of his country, never once stopped for gas or swerved

to avoid a rabbit. Tore along the spines of Faulkner past

Hemingway’s huffing bulls then slowed at last

to flick an affectionate yet manly wave Huck’s way,

hell of a kid, that rebel heart, refusal to stay caged

in a world ruled by Aunt Pollys, they formed

an unofficial congress. Sail on, boy. A lusty wind

beat in from the west, one stiff breeze linked

to another like a line of chorus girls in red heels.

His cracking fast car was a Triumph in the latest

series of Triumphs. He spurred throttled it

open burnt up the interstate, hightailed it.

Left Aunt Polly’s bloomers flapping

on the clothesline, sad flag of defeat.

 

He was no bean-shooter, no dope fiend,

no bindle-punk. Just a hep cat with healthy hungers.

A regular citizen with dreams of berries and bim.

Jeanette Lynes’ poetry books include The New Blue Distance (Wolsak and Wynn, 2009) and It’s Hard Being Queen: The Dusty Springfield Poems (Freehand, 2008). Archive of the Undressed (Wolsak and Wynn, 2012) is her sixth collection of poetry. Most recently, Jeanette’s poems were shortlisted for the 2012 Matrix Litpop Award. Her novel The Factory Voice (Coteau, 2009) was longlisted for The Scotiabank Giller Prize and a ReLit Award. Jeanette is coordinator of the MFA in Writing at the University of Saskatchewan.