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Flame Robin Apr 2015
one two three four five
here it comes again
one two three four five
but why is she surprised
one two three four five
(they said the counting would help)
one two three four five
“look in the mirror”
one two three four five
“tree trunk thighs / stomach expanding like the universe”
one two three four five
outside doesn’t matter (they said)
one two three four five
“eyes too wide / nose too long / lips don’t close”
one two three
so she can’t stop the words pouring out in heart-piercing whispers
one two
“ugly / unlovable / unkissable / unfriendable”
one
maybe one day she’d pour enough ugly out to be size
zero
Sean Hiroshige Feb 2020
her cheeks almost flooded her temples
as the ends of her lips were stretched
to a crescent by something I said -
an unmeditated exhibit of bliss
roused by quips equipped with comparisons sense couldn’t fix.
her voice gushed formless noise
that filled a void like
full moons over countrysides
or books dropped onto a library’s toes.
and that’s when I knew she’d say yes -
or that she’s ‘busy this weekend but how ‘bout the next?’
and when friends ask how’d I know, I say
it’s because
she laughed.

my hair caught fire,
scalp tingling like a hive disturbed,
neck turning to stone unable to change angle -
listening to the hatedisgustjudgmentdisapproval
I thought I heard in the whispered snickers
speared from the back of the room
piercing into a defenseless morale
usually quick to be defensive and assume
I’ve gained more members of an audience
weighing everything I do.
and that’s when I believed I was ugly or too quiet or weird or unfriendable
and when parents tried to understand why I tried to sever fat that wasn’t there
or censor a humor home to my nature, I say
it’s because
they laughed.
Laughter is an indicator for both wonderful and terrible things.

— The End —