a park in the middle of anywhere

a swing-set. dirty blonde pigtails sway
along the long legs of this girl, laughing

because the boy she cut in line to swing is crying, and she
finds her first victory over a man, crossing

finish lines that are meant to hold her back.
she ignores the ropes that keep her in the ring.

it tastes good, this teaspoon of premature revenge, giggles
tickling her tongue. i will not hold back, this girl

swings so high, her toes almost graze the glass.
she does not yet understand how small she will feel

when she sprouts breasts, grows curves and other items
up for grabs. she loves to be noticed now, but she won’t

forever: a big word. stuck forever in this body, in this
trophy case. we are shiny, we are sexy, we are

sorry for being born this way. i didn’t mean to be
a woman. is she still fighting? is she still swinging?

or is she still?

By Anna Leonard

Biography:

Anna Leonard is an Atlanta-based 21-year-old graduate from Virginia Commonwealth University with a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre and a concentration in Performance. She cultivated an interest in writing through dissecting plays and chose to adopt a minor in Creative Writing. She is an avid singer-songwriter with music out on Spotify, Apple Music, etc. and aims to create pieces dedicated to sincerity.