JANE (1974)
Jane is cursed.
After the divorce,
she fought two men
from first class. They smiled
as she passed, then each
took a turn slapping her
on the ass. She’s a stone
cold fox, one of them says.
She was new, and
nothing was said
for fear of reproach.
Alone in the forward galley
of the passenger lounge,
she sat, and from each side,
the men approached.
She had been manhandled,
cat-called—it was her place
as a working-class woman—
puckering and licking their lips.
She wobbled, shaken but quickly,
urging them away. Hushing her
still with his finger to her lips,
she closed her eyes and prayed.