Not a matter of life or death
Whether or not she can have the sugary cake
But to a child
The sweet is everything that means choice
in her short life
And its denial is an unbearable limitation
Amounting to tears flying and beating fists upon the floor.
As a teenager, she’ll wear thick black mascara,
And smoky shades around her eyes
Powdery makeup to look pale against
Her black lace and safety pins and spiky dog collar.
Why do you limit yourself? Her mother wants to ask.
Her mother wants to say, There’s a difference between defining yourself
And limiting yourself.
Trying to remember the girl of two who was in love with sweets.
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I love the way you bring the first and second stanzas together in the third. This is such a bittersweet poem that takes us into an unexpected emotional realm. Really, really terrific!
ReplyDeleteWow, this is great. So insightful. I love the line, "the sweet is everything that means choice in her short life." After bringing us through the bittersweet stages of the youths life, you sum it up beautifully with the mother "trying to remember the girl of two who was in love with sweets." Just fabulous!
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