Girls Growing Up Poem by James McLain

When I was in about ten or eleven
I stayed in overnight at a friend of my parents
We heard heavy grunting, walls banging
and bed squeaking
goings on from the room across from us next door

The younger girls freaking out
and tried to distract us older girls from hearing all of that
by talking out loudly
and turning the volume all the way up on our TV.
It wasn't enough to block out the noises
coming from our room
Being neighbors

It wasn't the first time I heard these noises
but it was certainly the first time
I heard the show go on for hours
Finally, one of the gutsier girls in my room
banged on their room door
and told them to 'unless I you come in to shut up!
We have ten year olds next door!

They reconnected for a few more minutes,
and finally after one least scream we slept in peace

And yes
I can also hear my new neighbors having sex
We drown them out with our own music
Bite something!
It sounds hot if it's passionate moaning
But if it sounds like
some pigs grunting battling it out or like hyena cries
then I feel my skin crawl
and feel like I need to wash my hands
especially if I know exactly who is next door to me
Doing what I see done to the others like me