2011 MONTGOMERY COUNTY
YOUTH POETRY CONTEST

10-12 GRADE RUNNER UP

Nathalie Goykhman
Abington Friends School

Avoiding the argument

It's like,
Walking through a parking lot after rain,
Tip-toeing even, raising the bottom of your jeans
But the puddles will find you,
And the moisture will creep up every stitch
And diffuse.
CURSE those puddles because we all know that wet jeans never dry
The dampness lingering, rubbing raw

Its like,
Chapped lips,
The outer edges unquenchable,
No ointment can revive the rigid flakes
Viscous goop just masks the burning
Sore and ruddy flesh

It's like,
that fingernail
That splits down the middle and
You spend the rest of the day biting it
To a stub, some botched solution
That will snag your silk scarf

It's like,
The way you look at her is unbearable
And suddenly those flat fluorescent lights
Illuminate your onyx pupils and you're,
shining.

It's like,
everyday I'll pretend to not notice
Her smile is a catalyst for yours
And how you touch her hands, playfully, "platonically."

It's like,
I have to bury the tacky scabs of jealousy
To avoid this reoccurring argument
But insecurities will ooze.
The tainted fluids seep through
The band-aids of kisses and hugs
That won't even stick.