Jeffrey Dreiblatt, Untitled (Heart)
Villanelle for Thirteen-Year-Old Girls
Alexandria Tannenbaum
because you’re thirteen,
you steal mirror looks like
checking to see if the car came back
because you’re a girl,
you smear days into downcast eyes
or, is it because you’re thirteen?
you harbor and ornamental words you can’t say
pitching out into the night every fear like
checking to see if the car came back
it’s winter again, so you fill yourself with home
and all the words looped in your trembling fingers
the night you turned thirteen
the side door leads right to the bedroom
no one locks doors here at night
without checking to see if the car came back
if your sister still lives here–no lights on in her room–
and you can still feel the way her hair moved
because she will always stay thirteen
checking to see if you ever come back
Alexandria Tannenbaum
because you’re thirteen,
you steal mirror looks like
checking to see if the car came back
because you’re a girl,
you smear days into downcast eyes
or, is it because you’re thirteen?
you harbor and ornamental words you can’t say
pitching out into the night every fear like
checking to see if the car came back
it’s winter again, so you fill yourself with home
and all the words looped in your trembling fingers
the night you turned thirteen
the side door leads right to the bedroom
no one locks doors here at night
without checking to see if the car came back
if your sister still lives here–no lights on in her room–
and you can still feel the way her hair moved
because she will always stay thirteen
checking to see if you ever come back