Girlhood

Artwork by Rebecca Song, staff artist

When the sidewalk reeks of lost

in the woods, pray we're anything but

girls. On the safe path, with hoods over

our heads, howls can still fit themselves

into whistling. Watch the way

the wolves consume: like a breath,

inside-out, souring the maw of night—

In the dark, we'll forget to spit out

the liquid curses. Our fortunes here

lie not in being kissed awake, but

being untouched asleep; lay us down

gently, hang a wreath in case—

Watch the way we've learned to fold

the hands of our grief back in their laps.

'Cause even then, we'll just disappear,

we'll just turn into sea foam—but someday,

let us be girls, opening our bodies

like lilies to the sky, girls laying down

the loud pavement beneath our feet.

#feminism #girlhood