mattel daydreams by Keshia Mcclantoc | Micro-Poetry | #thesideshow

mattel daydreams

dappled light
caught shadows
between plastic fingers
dust soiled grains of hair
and the small, layered
clothing worn to dull shine
painted pastel
slaughtered smiles

here i found childhood
dissected pieces
of girls i couldn’t understand
bodies tight and lithe
hardened vanity shells
my skin is soft
rolling, hanging, sloppy seconds
yet harder to break open

About the Author

Keshia Mcclantoc is originally from Bayou La Batre, Alabama. Her work has previously appeared in The Tower and she has a forthcoming publication in The Mantle. She is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Composition and Rhetoric at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. In her free time, she writes fiction and poetry, starts queer feminist discussions, and has deep, emotional conversations with her cat.