The sun was a lemon
suspended in
the sky that she would like to reach
out and
grab,
sink her teeth into.
The long, endless string of
Blank white
squares on a calendar-
The thought intoxicated her.
It was like staring down
the barrel of a gun. It was
Like kissing someone
for the first time. It was
beautiful.

She liked the feeling
of her freshly shaved
thighs
sticking to a chair when she
wore shorts she liked
The feeling of prickly grass
underneath a soft blanket,
Placing her hands on the
fabric and pressing
Down, feeling the blades of
Grass bend and crush
beneath her fingers
She liked taking
Affected cigarette drags, all
Sharp elbows and slim
legs by the polluted
Pool, sipping
Ice tea that had been
Goldened by the sun
And getting a drop on an
unmarred
page in the book she
Was reading she liked
The ghostly stain
left on her lips by a berry popsicle and most of all
She liked the lost art
of the scraped knee

But sitting
On the mustard yellow
Couch,
Scrubbing at a coffee stain,
Picking at a
Masterpiece of a scab,
The longing poured itself
Over her unmarred-
Untouched-
pages
Cool,
like iced tea

—By Katy B., 16, California