perhappened mag
issue 5: LIGHTS OUT
a thing that happens
when you develop gills
KRISTIN GARTH
A thing that happens
when you develop gills
at puberty — realizing nobody will
touch you even when lights go low.
With fingertips they would know what’s concealed
in human hair is animal unknown
(as far as you’re aware). You cannot hide,
even in the dark, the indigo, sea green
demarcations of neck not heart. Confide
to best friend — breasts, bisexuality
but don’t dare vulnerability of
maybe inhumanity. Isolate
to survive. Mutate teenage dreams of love,
to stay alive, deprived girlfriends/prom dates,
to breathe easier as something wild
immersed in loneliness, forever child.
when you develop gills
at puberty — realizing nobody will
touch you even when lights go low.
With fingertips they would know what’s concealed
in human hair is animal unknown
(as far as you’re aware). You cannot hide,
even in the dark, the indigo, sea green
demarcations of neck not heart. Confide
to best friend — breasts, bisexuality
but don’t dare vulnerability of
maybe inhumanity. Isolate
to survive. Mutate teenage dreams of love,
to stay alive, deprived girlfriends/prom dates,
to breathe easier as something wild
immersed in loneliness, forever child.
Kristin Garth is the author of 17 books of poetry including Flutter, Southern Gothic Fever Dream, The Meadow and Candy Cigarette Womanchild Noir. She is the Dollhouse Architect of Pink Plastic House a tiny journal and has a weekly sonnet podcast called Kristin Whispers Sonnets. Visit her site kristingarth.com and talk to her on Twitter @lolaandjolie.