We were so right for each other,
like the sun
and the
moon,
but our timing was off,
and the sun had to rise too soon.

Take pictures, I’ll smile for you,
Pose my hands, I’ll bow for you,
Move my lips, I’ll sing for you.
..
…
Hit my ***, I’ll wince for you,
Squeeze my breast, I’ll gasp for you,
Punch my stomach, I’ll cry for you,
Sell my body, I'll die for you.

I was busy at work,
scrubbing the lipstick stains from china coffee mugs,
TLC replying in my head,
when I heard a man clear his throat.
His overly exposed eyes did not scare me,
nor did his wide but bruised hands.
What scared me was one,
simple
sentence.
"excuse me miss, I just wanted to say you look beautiful today"
"thank you"
I should've been more polite,
and I do apologize for that,
but I am not beautiful.

They watched me carefully,
fluttering in my cage, pointing at my hair.
"how fierce" said the old man with the crooked teeth.
I pressed my clawed hands against the solid bars,
widening my yellow eyes.
"no, not fierce." said the old woman with the cane.
Her leather face turned upwards, smiling,
the skin, stretching like it had not practiced that action,
in a very long time.
"how free."

Red toes peak out from peep-toe laced Sperries,
heels clicking the hard-tiled floor of the dance room.
The black swan stared back from its home within her mirror,
red toes peak out from peep-toe laced Sperries.
She twirled and twirled, the swan did the same.
Each day the swan came to play, chipping the polish with every dance,
until the red toes were chipped and nearly gone.

"you're such a good girl."

Sour whiskey breath spread against my cheek.

"do you want this?"

I shook my head, trying to breath, to scream the words no! I don't!

"yes, you do, my good girl"

no, I don't!

"will you be my good girl?"

I promise I will be your good girl, I promise, just please don't do it again.

"you're my good girl."

*daddy, please stop

I called her Duchess.
and I called the other one Sweet.
The third was too dry, so I called her Meat.
Three different rooms, they wasted the space,
i brought them food, and sometimes things with lace.
I gave them purpose, I loved those *****.
without me, they'd be on the street unloved.
I love them
they love me
**then why did they leave