The Time I Won the Local Youth
(7-13) Poetry Competition
by Grace Pinkstone
she writes poems she wrote poems she
saves the receipt and takes the photos before she’s had her breakfast she
naps from six to seven and washes her face with snail she
eats pasta made from beans wishes her face with kale she puts on blush when she learns the cause of death she
told me not to tell anyone she can’t remember if she locked the door she
almost told the joke but thought better of it
she wrote poems she’s written them she
asks if you can open the bottle for her and when you’re not home she
doesn’t drink any coke she walks she checks the car windows for someone behind her she
only fixes the comforter she sleeps with the window open when someone’s beside her she
forgot her password she cried when the front camera told her i don’t know that face she
doesn’t look like the girl i used to know
she swears she wrote poems she has them around here somewhere she
got older got so old she learned that every man wants them sixteen to twenty-four she’s
certain she’s having a heart attack no she’s sure this time she wants her mother to boil her tea she
said that? she isn’t so sure she wants to have kids she lets the microwave chime more than once she
she’s grating she’s brunette she’s a bag of sand she’s bloody she’s forgotten the words to an instrumental she
can’t stop talking about that time she won the stupid poetry contest she
can’t throw out the receipt because it’s old enough to be special now she
writes poems wrote poems read poems blue poems green poems one poem two poems three poems
she won a contest once, when she was twelve, did you know?