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Molly Greer

The Pretty Girls

When my mother goes to the hospital,
there’s always a frantic search
for the right make up bag.
Not that pink bag – the pink bag with stripes.
 
I never learned how to wear make-up,
but when I was twelve,
I begged for permission to shave.
Still flat-chested with spangly legs,
all I wanted was to be one of those girls.
 
The boys notice the girls with shiny legs
much more than the ones who can outrun them.
I could be one of the girls
tanning on the asphalt during recess
without fear of the sun reflecting
off blond hairs on knobby knees.
I could be one of the pretty girls.
 
My legs look like a lumberjack’s now,
but I try my best to love them.
I pull pink unicorn socks over wiry hairs,
slide my feet into black combat boots.
Lumberjack/unicorns/boots is hard to stomach –
I’ll probably shave tonight.
 
In the hospital, my mother is beautiful.
We’re getting along today
and the afternoon light is just right.
She opens the pink striped bag,
paints her lips and lines her eyes.
As she fluffs her cheeks with blush
she confides in me and says,
when I’m dying, make sure you pluck my chin hairs.

Biography

Picture
Molly Greer (she/her) lives in Maryland with her husband and two children. Recent work has appeared or is forthcoming in The American Journal of Poetry, Full House Literary, Sledgehammer Lit, and Outcast Press Poetry. You can find her on Twitter: @MKGreerPoetry.
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ISSN 2639-426X
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  • Home
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  • Issues
    • Issue 51
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    • Issue 46
    • Issue 45
    • Issue 44
    • Issue 43
    • Issue 42
    • Issue 41
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    • Issue 38
    • Issue 37
    • Issue 36
    • Issue 35
    • Issue 34
    • Issue 33
    • Issue 32
    • Issue 31
    • Issue 30
    • Issue 29
    • Issue 28
    • Issue 27
    • Issue 26
    • Issue 25
    • Issue 24
    • Issue 23
    • Issue 22
    • Issue 21
    • Issue 20
    • Issue 19
    • Issue 18
    • Serenity
    • Issue 17
    • The Audio Room
    • Issue 16
    • Issue 15
    • Issue 14
    • Play It Again
    • Issue 13
    • Issue 12
    • Issue 11
    • Issue 10
    • Issue 9
    • Issue 8
    • Issue 7
    • Issue 6
    • Hand to Mouth
    • Issue 5
    • Issue 4
    • Issue 3
    • Issue 2
    • Issue 1
  • Submissions