BOY NAMED G

by Robert Behrens

Just the letter. No vowel. Not short for anything.
His parents' 3 a.m. hospital compromise between Grant
and George, it's doomed him to hear, repeatedly,
At least they didn't choose P or X. Or people will say,
G isn't a name, like he was only joking, or hadn't known,
and will go change it. He avoids situations with introductions.
He envies his dog Jack's normal name. A man asked him
if he knew Bea from Ohio, like there's a convention
for those people, or they must be related. Some guys
call him G-force, which sounds too much like a 6-bladed razor.
And would it really help to change his name to Bob, when he knows
inside he's really G? Once, a girl tried to flirt with him—
punching his arm and calling him G-spot. All he could think
was how small and slimy. How horrible
to be something never talked about in public.