‘Taking Our Tails’ by Tania Hershman
They ask if you’d like to guest star. When you say yes, attempting to sound calm, to sound no-big-dealish, they say: What planet would you like to be from?
You say: I can choose?
They say: Oh yes, we’re always open to ideas, take your time.
You don’t need time.
A planet ruled by women, you say.
Ruled by women, that’s new, they mumble as they write it down.
Large women, you say.
Large women? We’ll have to add budget for padding and ...
No, you say, no padding. Large actors. Real people.
They stare at you.
No padding? they say. You shake your head.
Oh, and every woman has a tail, you say. You enjoy the looks on their faces as they leave to make their preparations.
*
You film the scenes on your planet and the ship, with your voluptuous sisters and their tails filling up the screen. You hear the crew mumble: We’ve never had women so ... so ...
You grin. In between takes, you and your sisters sit around with coffee, doughnuts. Although you’d never met before, you fit together as if you were from that planet. You say to each other that you wish you really lived there, and you stroke your tails and laugh so loudly the crew looks up from repositioning their cameras.
*
After the last scene is a wrap, you steal your tail. They told you to leave it in the dressing room but you can’t resist, it makes you feel so very. And once a month, you and your voluptuous sisters meet. You sit around the table with your tails (you are not the only thief), and you talk and laugh, drink coffee and eat doughnuts. You talk, laugh, drink coffee, eat doughnuts, and begin to make your plans.
From issue #13: spring/summer 2022
About the Author
Tania Hershman’s second poetry collection, Still Life With Octopus, is available now from Nine Arches Press and her debut novel, Go On, will be published by Broken Sleep Books in Nov 2022. Tania is also the author of three short story collections, a poetry collection, two poetry pamphlets and a hybrid book inspired by particle physics. www.taniahershman.com
