she

she trembles
black eyes
scared of what’s soft,
of allowing what is good.

her world moves quickly
is sarcastic and everything
is lame. she has no patience
for idiots. she has
puffy lips and tiny curls.
she holds her knees,
covers her mouth
with her hands when
crying — scars
testify against any
professional projections. she used to
cover them but now
she doesn’t.

she
is paper thin
her heart throbs
too quickly for her
tiny frame and she
will never allow anyone
not even herself — to see that
she feels weak. she can’t
stop. she sprints ahead
to keep the throbbing at bay.

and then still she
wears blazers and toms
on days when she’s determined to
stay afloat.