sweaty, stinking, dirty girl
You forgot to take your birth control
three times this week so you get
your period in English class.
How have you not gotten better at this?
The same way you fall asleep before
brushing your teeth, or your phone
dies before you even leave the house—
You can feel your brain cells
falling out of your ears
when you flip your hair upside
down to dry it with a damp towel.
And you can see the mold growing
in the tea cup on your dresser but
still you remain unmoving on the sofa
watching your roommate put together
a puzzle with a missing piece, the deck
of 50 cards held together with an elastic band—
where are the jokers hiding?