An Open Book of a Girl

A Poem

Photo by Zoe on Unsplash

you might know a girl like her —
the kind to wear her heart on her sleeve
as if there’s no threat out there
in the great wide somewhere

but you’ll notice soon enough
that she bites her lip a bit too much
as if she’s holding her tongue
to keep everyone else happy

and arguments make her
silently close in on herself
as if she’s inside a coccoon
to keep herself free of any harm

you might know a girl like her —
someone who’s too quick to apologize
as if she’s waiting for a blow to come
or for a threat to be yelled her way

but you’ll see the signs
of how she whispers her name
when introducing herself
as if she’s a wisp of a person

and any unkind word
will make her eyes gleam
with tears she won’t shed,
lest she cause a scene