Harlequin

strawberry farm

poor little strawberry girl
who shudders and swells
with the slightest twirl
of a miffed, mad, livid bell

strawberry girl whispers
thirty-six wishes
into her wishing boxes
that the next twenty-something hours
will be alright, and alright as it is.

strawberry girl hopes nobody
eats up her head and spits out the seeds
so she doesn't feel empty
forgets her head is made from wild berries
and stupidity

strawberry girl got attacked
by the bull dogs near the burger shack
and she doesn't cry because of the pain
but because of how it's always the dogs
but no boy ever looks back

strawberry girl locked
herself in the bathroom block
because she couldn't pull up her socks
for the recent science test.
so she slit her wrists till her skin turned red
like her strawberry head.
paper cuts for the best

and what she wants most
is for someone to really, truly love her
for someone to tell her she's perfect
and she shall never change for the sake
of love and happiness and she'll never hate
herself anymore.

and what she wants most
is perhaps not for someone to love her
but for someone to tell her
you were never
a strawberry girl
but you made yourself into such a foolish girl
with a foolish childish
head.

foolish childish strawberry girl
who thinks only she deserves
to play the fool in a world that is really
the selfish florid supreme court

when really we are all forever fools in the making.