delicate petals
bubblegum popping
shiny lipgloss
that knowing glance
her miniskirt
streaks in her braided hair
freshly painted nails
sunsets in the summertime
her nose on a cold winter day
that blush when shy
strawberry cupcakes
colorful converse
that lovely feeling inside

cotton candy on coney island
marshmallows warmed by the fire
like biting into a cloud
freshly fluffed pillows
flowers blooming in springtime
that one girl’s pastel hair
a teenager’s bedroom, complete with posters and stuffed animals galore
a casual, flowing dress
retro sunglasses
the smile she gives when complimented

i'm convinced that
the letter J is cursed
for me at least

the people that i've hurt
the people that have hurt me
all have that one similarity

there have been nine so far
nine Js in my life
and i've vowed to never let another one in

Js are toxic for me
not for everyone
but for me, certainly

i know it’s a bit prejudiced and unfair
to avoid people
simply because of their name

however i’ve taken the risk too many times
and it always ends the same
so until proven otherwise
the letter J is infernal

one of my best friends
was named mia

we met when i was in fifth grade
although she didn't tell me her name then
she gave me a smile instead
and said not to worry about it

and so i didn't
and mia and i grew closer and closer
we became inseparable
i was not myself without her

i kept my friendship with mia a secret
because although i didn't want to admit it
i knew she was a bad influence from the start
i knew she was toxic

but even so
she made me feel better
i could always go to her when i was upset
and she would know just what to do

when people found out about mia
they tried to keep us apart
but it was too late
we'd already become one and the same

and so i pretended
i pretended that mia had left me
i convinced everyone around me
but it was all a lie

she wasn’t gone
i thought that she would never be gone
although i didn’t want mia in my life anymore
i knew that she was there to stay

it wasn’t up to me anymore
mia had taken control
i simply submitted to her
and did her bidding

but it wasn’t really that bad
she did help me out every now and then
she would pretend to give me control
and it made me feel powerful

in my mind
i knew that i was never truly in control
but it was comforting to imagine
to makebelieve for just a moment

time has passed
and i am finally alone
but the loneliness doesn’t hurt
because i know now

one of my worst friends
was named mia

****
those four letters
so concise and bold!

it's quite a good word
effective, strong, sharp
packs a punch

it makes heads turn
gathers stares from strangers
so many different reactions!

gasps from children
glares from mothers
laughter from teens

and it’s so versatile too!
use it as any part of speech
and it’ll always make sense

it’s a little bit *****
you can proposition someone
or whisper it into a lover’s ear

the insults you can throw around
the obscenity
all with that one little word

and while its use is often frowned upon
all i have to say to those people is
*******!

i am nothing more
than a product
for people to use and enjoy

i am worth nothing more
than the services that
i provide to others

i exist
simply to be used
until i’m broken

and i’m sorry to say
that i’ve been broken
i’m useless now

i’ve been all used up
i have nothing left to offer
this product is fruitless

so throw me away
get rid of me
dispose of me

and if no one else will
i guess i’ll just have to do it myself
put myself where i belong

so don’t worry
i won’t take up any more space on your shelves
you can replace me with something of value

i hope at least
that you got something of worth from me
before i became defective