she thinks its natural
to be a lost cause
and she waits with sullen stares
for when someone remembers her face
and calls her pretty.
she holds on to the notions
that she's worth a jaded compliment
or a late-night phone call
from someone who swears they miss her
but she can't remember their face
when she closes her eyes.
she wishes she could hold on to something
be more than nothing
believe in an idea
that could be so real
it made you shake with the completeness
of the wonder.
the possibility
that she could change the world.
but she looks down at her little hands
that someone once called lovely
and she knows that first
she has to believe
in herself.

12/01/2004

Posted on 12/01/2004
Copyright © 2024 Lauren Singer