Kristine Ong Muslim ’s
publication credits include Bellevue Literary Review, Caveat Lector, Chronogram, The Pedestal Magazine, and Turnrow. —Back to Orsorum Contents— |
Plain GirlBelieve me when I say that I knowwhat is missing, what is mismatched. My looks have every thing to do with what I try to represent. I calculate the half-lives of broken things, live a secret life inside a white bedroom in an unheard-of loft in an unheard-of section in Monroe. I stay small, anonymous. I am unbreakable that way. For want of stillness, I blend in, get lost in my borrowed air.
Pretty GirlMy mother has told meto stay away from boys. But they make me look good, graceful even. Like properly pronounced church Latin. I am light as sugar frosting. I am a prized ticket stub. I am the pink of the tongue. A doll, a door, a stolen red car.
Salt GirlAs a child, I have watchedhow the elders butcher the farm animals, boil the meat in salted water. I know what happens inside the pot. Years later, I take lessons in taxidermy, keep my husband's head beside my hunting trophies. You must understand. I am what aches to be rubbed on every wound. |
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