A Thing Like That

(From Ragaire, Issue 1)

My mother says; Be careful,

• Don’t take a taxi by yourself.

• Don’t get too drunk.

• Don’t walk home alone.

My mother says;

You’d never get over a Thing Like That.

But the morning after, my mother said;

• You came in late.

• You’re always out.

• That dress was very short.

So I got in the shower

And scrubbed it off

And went to school like always.

And it was months before I let myself remember that there was something

to get over.