Nine.
Long, careless hair and English class
A girl who hides behind a thousand feigned identities
Reeling in secrets, deep into the night.
There is a place for her in friends that judge
And father’s music picking up the pieces
Days spent smoking on a back porch
Which disappeared with the season.

Ten.
Bleached hair and algebra class
A girl beginning to reveal
Longing for paralleled anatomy, deep into the night.
There is a place for her in friends that love
And father has to go away for a while
Days spent breathing in the perfect fit
Which disappeared in heartbreak.

Eleven.
Cropped, determined hair and film class
A girl releasing prior trepidation
Bleeding fights with past romances, deep into the night.
There is no place for her anywhere
And father holds tight when she cries
Days spent writing and forgetting that
Which weighs her down like anchors hooked to flesh.

Twelve.
Fading, shrugging hair and medical class
A girl who sees others in herself
Surrounded by pictures and post-its, deep into the night.
There are places for her in friends who were there all along
And father tells her stories while he drives
Days spent calling to a thousand past-self acrobats
Which lead her by the hand to somewhere brighter.