(no subject)
marley starts the braids after breakfast
fingers licking sticky marmalade
me holding up for him his jarred hair grease
me holding real still,
really really still
boys on basket bikes pedal past
the neighbor lady ms. sykes' spotty puppy
poops on our pansies and stares at me
holding real still,
really really still
little jeemi jangles jingle money, fake toy money
trotting down the ice cream truck
me just tasting that chunky peach cream
dripping my crown,
a chill like bobbing for apples in an ice tub
my hair smells like Sunset Beach
and itches like a picnic.
when the boys leave the ball court i stand up
slow, real slow
walking creaky like the Tin Man
mama smiling at my patient scalp,
supper tasting saucy,
marley tosses his napkin into the beans
puts his hat on crooked and goes out leaving
me glimpsing my head in the tea kettle,
half looking really nice, flicks of
braids in curves like fancy icing trim,
the other half like the crazy green hair on a carrot
sticking out top a grocery bag.
fingers licking sticky marmalade
me holding up for him his jarred hair grease
me holding real still,
really really still
boys on basket bikes pedal past
the neighbor lady ms. sykes' spotty puppy
poops on our pansies and stares at me
holding real still,
really really still
little jeemi jangles jingle money, fake toy money
trotting down the ice cream truck
me just tasting that chunky peach cream
dripping my crown,
a chill like bobbing for apples in an ice tub
my hair smells like Sunset Beach
and itches like a picnic.
when the boys leave the ball court i stand up
slow, real slow
walking creaky like the Tin Man
mama smiling at my patient scalp,
supper tasting saucy,
marley tosses his napkin into the beans
puts his hat on crooked and goes out leaving
me glimpsing my head in the tea kettle,
half looking really nice, flicks of
braids in curves like fancy icing trim,
the other half like the crazy green hair on a carrot
sticking out top a grocery bag.