Written By: Jasmine Conrad

He said I spend too much time in my own head because I never speak
But my eyes are wide, pupil’s hungry
I inhale the world through my iris
But I don’t spit it out on my tongue
My mouth stays clean and my teeth stay wet

He said my hands were rough but I have no blisters
And that my nails were too short
I cut them so they wouldn’t scratch me when I hugged myself
Or held my own hand
I keep them rough to remind me that it’s good to be uncomfortable
It reminds me that people, like lotion, sooth for a moment but eventually evaporate and leave you conscious, like your skin more cracked and dry than before

He said my hair was too straight
I did it so she wouldn’t be afraid of me
Now I look like a friend not enemy or other
Burnt hair signals the cremation of cultural identity
Like, duh,
Blonde is the new blonde baby boy
I can be your bi-racial Barbie
Find me at your local CVS
On a budget? Purchase me without a soul for only $6.66
But hurry, for a limited eternity only

He said you smile a lot
It’s not a smile
I do it to show my teeth and that I can bite if I want too
Smiles turn to screams easier than frowns do
Its vodka proven and whisky tested…just ask Jack

He said words cant hurt you
I said they can, and they will
Words are my weapon, and yours are too
If mine are slings shots then your are nucs
Someone call the white house
His finger is on my red button and the launch code is behind his eye lids

He said why do you walk instead of take a cab
I only have lint in my pockets, receipts in my wallet
Plus my legs have free time and don’t like to wait
They yell at me when I don’t let them strut
They also have an issue with reality
See, they think every sidewalk is a runway
It embarrasses the hell out of my hips,
My waist tolerates it though

He said who are you
In my space questions are only questions when they have an answer
Otherwise they become riddles or hypothesis or something smart like that
Maybe I’m one of those
I sure as hell can’t say

Remember words are your weapons
I’d rather not self-destruct
I kinda just wanna strut