the girls

The girls are weeping in their rooms again
and they’re posting pictures of themselves with wet
mascara running over their childish cheeks
next to a journal covered in writing and under the
picture are twenty comments from strangers
“thats so me” “thats me” “thats definitely me” “lmao”

The girls are pinching their thighs again
watching cellulite rise and their chests tighten
Can you burn calories if you cry hard enough?
Oh manifest those chopstick legs darling, listen
to subliminals on youtube, until you’re able to
look in the mirror without having a panic attack

The girls are skipping their meals again
because hunger means hard won beauty,
you’re following Bella Hadid’s diet, cup
of water in the morning, and half an almond
should tide you over for the day. Cry
into a tub of Halo Top if you must, but
be sure to throw it back up.

The girls are hating themselves again
every inch of skin is not smooth enough,
nothing they say is smart or witty enough,
want to ball yourself up like a miserable
mistake of a poem and hurl yourself into
the trash can, oh but darling you are only
a first draft, but most never make it to
revision.

By Rooney Kim

Biography:

Rooney Kim (she/her) is a high school senior based in New York City. Her writing mainly focuses on themes of mental illness, queer identity, and love. She has attended the Iowa Young Writers Studio and the Common Young Writers Workshop, among others. She only writes at 3am with music and a cup of coffee. Please send help. She is chaotic.