Metamorphosis
A) Moth is attracted to the sun; the Caterpillar on the branch is bright yellow. Moth falls in love with Caterpillar.
B) At school they thought that I was mute because I never talked, DON’T TALK TO HER they said SHE CAN’T SPEAK. I said nothing. IS SHE JUST STUPID OR SOMETHING? I said nothing. The girl at the party says WHY DON’T YOU EVER TALK ARE YOU MUTE OR SOMETHING. I say nothing. The boy with the monster claws says DO YOU WANT TO BE A VIRGIN FOREVER. I say NO.
C) One time we had a birthday party and I sat in a chair and you cut my hair off. I came home and lay on my bedroom floor. My mom hated it for a day. I left class and walked out of school, past that big empty field that no one had built anything yet and got fucked up. I lay on my bedroom floor. She came home and yelled at me because the house was dirty. I lay on my bedroom floor.
D) The sign on the notice posted today says: BE STILL. DO NOT BLINK TWO TIMES IN A ROW. IF YOU SEE A CUTE BOY HOLD YOUR BREATH UNTIL HE PASSES. DO NOT MAKE EYE CONTACT. STOP AT GO. STAY SILENT. MIND YOUR MANNERS. CUT THE KNOTS OUT OF YOUR HAIR. SHAVE WHATEVER MAKES YOU A WOMAN. Someone is handing it out. Hair is falling to the floor.
E) They cut down the big tree we swung on. There’s a soccer goal in the yard. Litters of kittens were born on the large blue concrete porch. The picture window is held together with duct tape. They say CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS PLACE WAS ON SALE? WHAT A BARGAIN.
F) With each gentle breeze, the caterpillar dreams of flying away.
G) The therapist says STEP ON THE SCALE. I am saying WE WATCHED HIM GET ARRESTED. The therapist says HOW MUCH DO YOU WEIGH TODAY I say I HAD TO RAISE MY BROTHERS. The therapist says HOW MUCH. I say THERE WAS A TRAMPOLINE. I say I LOST FIVE POUNDS IN A WEEK. The therapist says DID YOUR FATHER EVER TOUCH YOU? I say FIVE POUNDS. They say TELL ME ABOUT THE TIME I say EVERYONE WAS AFRAID. THERE WAS TOO MUCH YELLING. I HID. HE BROKE INTO OUR HOUSE. The therapist says HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT GETTING BACK IN TOUCH. YOU COULD USE A MAN IN YOUR LIFE.
H) Before they put me to sleep at the dentist’s my grandmother gave me a bell with an angel on it. RING THIS IF YOU NEED ME she said I WILL BE RIGHT THERE. I fell asleep and she went to go eat fast food. When she died the day before my birthday I cried and grabbed the bell RING. She did not come. BUT I NEED.
I) I am mute. The doctor says ARE YOU JUST STUPID OR
J) Caterpillar becomes a butterfly and flies away. Moth cries.
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