the passage of time
curated barbie doll smiles

baseball glove abandoned
in the tall grass

thirteen now;
dirty knees won’t be attractive
on a girl as pretty
until well into her twenties

when her face looks good smashed against
a coverlet
for now, these stains are
childish

sometimes the package won’t fit
into the envelope
but you force it
anyway

enough postage
and you’re on your way