lip gloss,
gold eyeshadow,
five different colors
of eyeliner
sweet melancholy perfume,
shiny locket,
new sandals,
a new dress
from the most
expensive place in town

headphones plugged in,
blocking out the world,
small book in hand,
occasionally falling asleep
against the warm car window
refusing to listen

she fills her heart
with material things
fruity smells
a fresh face
but she thinks
sympathy
family
love
should replace these

she wants to be needed
and needs to be wanted
but she believes
she is not

i remember
you said when you first met somebody you looked at their teeth
& you said you liked my teeth
& for some strange reason after that
we were friends
you told me a joke
as our first conversation
the one about T.G.I.F. (thank god it's friday)
& S.H.I.T (sorry honey it's thursday)
& for some strange reason after that
we were friends

once we were friends
we sat next to each other in art class
joking that we were no michelangelo
we went camping
you called me just to talk
& we talked for hours
you would just draw me random pictures
& for my birthday
you were the only one who gave me a present
when you drew me a picture of a pterodactyl
on a piece of notebook paper
it stayed in my locker
& made me smile every morning
you told me that if you layed down on the floor
& laughed
it made you laugh harder
& it worked

but now
we are only accquaintances
and sometimes you smile at me in the hall
but all that i see is your teeth
& that's the only thing that involves your mouth
nowadays
no words

& i feel sad

she sits in her box
that box in a corner
she hardly ever protests
just laughs
her laugh tinged with exhaustion
insomnia laziness genius

she is beautiful
but her box is not
& her family whispers
and compares her box
with other boxes that they find
in other children's rooms
big ones little ones long ones skinny ones
silver ones spiraled ones painted ones
carved ones mahogany ones
even invisibile ones
where their inhabitants are allowed to shine
& people can see that shooting star
burst

but hers is cardboard and filled with paperwork
she spends her time perfecting everything
and she is overwhelmed

but she is happy

until one day she will tear out of her box
loose leafs scattered
a new plasma shining in her eyes
& her family just hopes she will not rip
the box out of spite

but for now
she just laughs

he surely makes an awful din
but nobody likes the awful noise
so he learns to compensate
by moaning,
and groaning,
and complaining,
and cursing,
and nay-saying,
and bragging
and SCREAMING!

until everybody knows his name,
and he's made his name poisoned
and nobody likes the awful noise

and he stands alone