my mom says, ‘don’t live for other people’ as she drinks a breakfast beer and her orange snowboard pants glow freakily under our kitchen light

this is the woman who raised me to believe that there is nothing i can’t do

her own ballerina dreams suspended as i came along

a small town, high school baby

scandal.

she never lowered her gaze.

i’m smart because of her

and stubborn. i’m not insecure and i don’t apologize

because of her.

she looks so perfect, i don’t even reach for a camera.