Movie Theater Thoughts

i was in line for the movie theaters once

behind two prepubescent boys... 12 at most

with snapbacks larger than their heads, and a silver sticker of authenticity clinging onto the lid to help bring out this badass persona that they tried so hard to wear...

cargo shorts lowered to inappropriate levels

and of course, manly t-shirts with a half-naked girl plastered all over the front

the cotton fibers trap her as a symbol for male dominance, eye candy, arm candy, trashy and cheap

…

and suddenly across the way

there comes a middle school girl

with eyes like secrets

if you looked into them long enough

she might tell you what she’s feeling

jaws sculpted like sharp steel

maybe they’ll break through your mental windows

and hands like tigers

strong, swift, graceful

and i see the boys

their eyes raking over her like dirty nails on a chalkboard

pointing out every bit of her exposed skin like

they're picking out the freshest slab of meat at the market

and finally

one of them strikes up the manly courage to yell across the way and say:

“damn girl, you’re hot!”

the other:

“yeah, i’d tap that!”

...

what the hell happened to “hi”?

and the girl she’s rolling her eyes

and the girl she’s tightening her jaw

and the girl she’s clenching her fists

and her fists are squeezing

as if she’s getting rid of the disgust in her heart

and she’s blushing as if

she’s heard it all before

and she’s blushing as if

she’s only labeled “hot” and nothing more

and i wanted to say that those three letters don’t define you

and i wanted to say that they don’t know the beginning of you

and i wanted to say that i see so much more in you

and i wanted to say... you are pretty

but you’re also pretty smart and pretty talented and pretty incredible

…

but instead i rolled my eyes

tightened my jaw

clenched my fists

and i tried to squeeze something out to say

…

but i said nothing.