saltina a vietnamese potbellied
pig once popular as pets she
was little cute grunty had had milky
oatmeal for breakfast as had I
when I stayed overnight with a
once-neighbor on a cross country
trip my laden purse was open on the
floor I looked down saw salty nosing
through the contents – papers wallet
keys etc with her dripping milky snout
recently I learned of salty’s adult life
at first she’d eaten a special import to
keep pigs lean but ohio ran out so salty
grew to 300 pounds on free day-old
bakery eclairs banana breads etc – a
monstrous mound in the living room
butchers couldn’t take her – she was a
“protected pet” she finally was accepted
at a soap factory thus ends saltina’s story
a happy life with finale in worthwhile use
2020 Jacqueline Jackson
This article appears in Politics and powerlessness.
