Zippo

Zippo

 

She lights a cigarette

with the Zippo her

father gave her,

the only thing

from his house

she was allowed to retrieve.

 

A bottle full of black market estrogen

rattles

with every step she takes,

no room left

in her hand-me-down purse.

 

For things like money,

or a paycheck.

 

And the smoke rings

she blows

frame the world in imperfect circles,

as she squints down the street

through her dime store sunglasses.

 

Yet she feels powerful.

 

Because she knows

she wiggles when she walks.

 

And it’s not her fault.

 

She is just

a young girl,

who happens to pee

standing up.

Reviews

[W.k.kortas]

The seeming contradictions are everywhere here--the feeling of power cf. the powerlessness of an empty wallet, the perfect jiggle and the imperfect circles in the sunglasses, the notion of "a young girl,/who happens to pee/standing up". It's very detailed, exceptionally visual, and very well-built writing.