
We waited
for the sky’s
decay, ignored
the moon like the streetlights
did darkness.
All bright eyes & thin
ankles, Friday night was
ours.
Our mothers were dragons
of grief, puffed
fear we froze as we tinted
our lips with colors named for
wine, took pictures with
tongues, sliced our shirts into
shards for boys who were too
dumb to notice
our sun slapped
skin.
Summer was our
scissor: we used pools
of piss to cut god from
prayer, ice cream to trim
our fathers
flat.
There were waffle cones
webbed with caramel, flavors
chalked with
chocolates & still
we littered
gummy bears on our
sundaes.
We paid with pennies
flipped upside, extra for
a maraschino cherry
to suck on until our mouths
oozed red, our drool a
flaming glitter.
The wind
licked
our hair, stars
dripped onto our scalps.
We fingered
the night—our nails matched
our amethyst
hearts. I swore
we could be anything.
jodie kahan
Young
Jodie Kahan lives in South Florida, where she is a senior at Pine Crest High School. She attended the Iowa Young Writers' studio this past summer, and her work has been recognized by the National Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.