They called her Four Eyes and she began to see in 4D,
the unseen internal, the smoke monster in the words,
the color of ugly (dun), jealousy (not green), beauty (n/a).
They called her Thunder Thighs and she began to dress
in skintight green storm cloud, and she grew to master
the art of the Tatsumaki Senpuu Kyaku a.k.a. tornado kick.
They called her Lizard Girl and she began to molt, sweet
weeping armor replaced by hard plates, a mosaic of ocean
or pine needles or beet-bitter tongue, and inside she grew
a prehensile brain and that tongue now Ferrari fast.
What do you think they will call her to next?
She dreams Ice Queen, Shrew, Ball-busting Bitch.
Oh, how she closes her eyes and dreams.
Cathryn Cofell is an Appleton poetry activist with two full full length collections including “Stick Figure With Skirt,” winner of the 2019 Main Street Rag Poetry Award, six chapbooks, numerous awards, and a music/poetry CD called Lip. www.cathryncofell.com.
Portage Magazine 