What Judge Judy Says
by Jen Karetnick
I’ve always had a fondness for Judge Judy — her dry humor makes me laugh, plus I identify with the way she won’t tolerate stupidity. But when I started binge-watching, I noticed that she has a habit of saying certain phrases over and over again. I started writing them down just out of curiosity to how many there were, and before you know it I had this mashed-up prose poem.
Jen Karetnick has a chapbook, Prayer of Confession (Finishing Line Press), and a full-length book of poetry, Brie Season (White Violet Press), forthcoming. Poems of hers are also coming out in December, Hospital Drive, Mobius, and Valparaiso Poetry Review. She works as the Creative Writing Director for Miami Arts Charter School and as a freelance dining critic and food-travel writer. Her cookbook, Mango, is also forthcoming (University Press of Florida).
Originally appeared in the online supplement to the Beyond Category issue 43.2-44.1