we smooth ourselves
brush stray hairs
cover imperfections
mask bright laughs
damper loud opinions
in an effort to be
enough
but
not too much
enough
to look at
smile at
love at
squelch the anger
bite your tongue
so he will look
and like
and love
he is turned on
by the softness
but we are screaming
about the shit
that is hard to scream about
run
keep running
from a girl
with the world at her fingertips
they will simplify you
widdle you down
to a body
and some long hair
and maybe you get to be funny
he just wants a
‘chill’ girl
a calm girl
who swallows her fire
so he can have his
watered down to a middle ground
to an average
that is not insulting nor exciting
that is all that you’re allowed to be
small
and
safe
and
sane
shallow waters
and lukewarm sins
and it’s not his fault
someone else told him that
and someone else told him that
and someone else told him that
but no one told me that.
