“Make things beautiful,”
she said. “Yes,”
they all agreed.
“Yes, make beautiful
things, not ugly things.
Stop making ugly things,
stop making things ugly.”
they clucked their tongues
shaking their heads side-
to-side their eyes staring
not moving and disapproving
overcharged black cat clocks
over my tiny shoulders
another attempted monster
someone scary on my paper
meant to be scary
a werewolf or a vampire
a cut-up human monster
pencil lines infused with the
pressure of wanting
to make real
to be taken
seriously little hands
shaking