We drove across the country once
from Los Angeles to Birmingham
to get away from your headaches.

They followed us in that gray Hyundai
that smelled of vanilla and cigarettes
and when we arrived
you had surgeries to stop the pain.

I started wearing pink dresses and wings
that strapped around my shoulders,
and dancing in ballet slippers
with wooden toes and pink ribbon laces.

The mornings were still new.
We both still had our mothers.

05/15/2012

Posted on 05/15/2012
Copyright © 2025 Meghan Helmich