A Girl

A Girl 

A girl knows it is best, 
in the summer,
to be out in the alley
before morning coffee
brings her mother’s grievances
into clear focus. 

A girl hides behind a camellia
bush waiting breathlessly
for her best friend’s brother
who will later
drop a spider down the 
back of her shirt. 

A girl can be bought off for two quarters 
and the promise that the source of
the bruise on her right thigh
will remain a secret.

Through the screen door,
a girl watches Sylvie’s aunt
take a drag off her cigarette
and sigh. 

When a girl is uncertain she makes herself a question. 

Published on The Laundry Line June 10, 2025.