by Margaret Rozga
She is the doll I cried for
in the store. Flustered,
my mother finally gave in.
She is the doll I held up like a mask.
To calm my crying daughter, I eased
into speaking as I thought this doll might.
She is the doll I surrendered to my crying
granddaughter who removed the bonnet, dress, shoes,
and combed her hair until the wig came unglued.
Margaret Rozga has published four books of poetry, including Pestiferous Questions: A Life in Poems (Lit Fest Press 2017), written with the help of a creative writing fellowship at the American Antiquarian Society. Her current project is a series of Alice in Wonderland themed poems. She serves as current Wisconsin Poet Laureate and in that role is working to encourage conversations about poems we love.
Portage Magazine 