Today's poem is by Erika Meitner
Instructions for Vigilant Girls
Be the sleeping sister who sees no one.
Stay stuck in. Later, hand overa list of suspects: the handyman,
the bachelor neighbor, the unclewho was never really your uncle.
When there are conversations,take notes in your secret diary:
She said she saw him look at things.Wear the key in your hair. No one
will search there. Speak on behalfof the soon-to-be-missing, but if they play
in the woods near your home, do nottrail them to an encounter with the man
in the conversion van who gently insistsyou hunt for his puppy and means you
no harm through his pleated pockets filledwith stars and balloons, real pieces
of the moon. Resist. Try not to lick anything.Bring your gum eraser and be invisible
as a grackle to the well-trained watcherwho follows your movements
but never reports them untilyou are found veiled in a strip mall basement,
throat unfurling with threats and questions.
Tweet
Copyright © 2011 Erika Meitner All rights reserved
from Makeshift Instructions for Vigilant Girls
Anhinga Press
Reprinted by Verse Daily® with permission
Support Verse Daily
Sponsor Verse
Daily!
Home
Archives
Web Weekly Features
About Verse Daily
FAQs
Submit to Verse Daily
Copyright © 2002-2011 Verse Daily
All Rights Reserved