the girls stick forks in the ground

The girls stick forks in the ground. Recess behind the fence, the girls stick forks stolen from the cafeteria into the ground and water them with chocolate milk as a tribute to the fairies.

The girls in their navy blue pleated jumpers dream of growing breasts and wider hips. The girls hide in an empty classroom after school and play strip rock-paper-scissors with the older, eighth grade boys. One button, two buttons, three buttons undone. They all duck behind the desks as Sister Claire walks by.

The girls stick forks in the ground and read Nancy Drew novels, dog-eared and faded, that they borrow from the library. Over the summer, the girls grow one inch, two inches, three inches taller. They are sent home to their mothers who will let down the hems of the same navy blue jumpers.

Forks in the ground, in the autumn rain and mud, the girls stick metal forks that never grow despite all the chocolate milk and love. The bell rings in the morning, and the girls sit down at their desks in neat little rows, reciting Hail Mary Blessed Mother of God, Fruit of thy Womb pray for us Sinners, Amen, with clenched fists.

One girl sticks the fork deeper into the ground than the rest of the girls. So deep the fork barely shows and she drives it all the way down with the heel of her scuffed, patent leather mary janes. This one shall go to hell first and survive to tell the story:

“Petals on a wet, black bough,” thank you Ezra Pound. Petals on a wet, black bough, the girls stick forks in the ground. One fork, two forks, three forks deep. Metal crocuses buried beneath the snow, burning bright like a spark of love and maybe fairies don’t care too much for chocolate milk, who knows.

Girls who trudge the same mud-splattered mary janes up the stairs and down the blue-gray halls of the school that smell like piss. They imagine what it’s like to be kissed by Scott or James or Kevin in 206, and if it’s anything like kissing the inside of their own arm with a pillow crushed between their legs on a Sunday night, “studying” photo-SYN-thesis.

The girls stick forks in the ground and wear gym shorts underneath their navy blue jumpers. The girls stick forks in the ground behind the yellow school bus. Pick blood red hibiscus flowers from the bush, dance and whoop and lift their skirts, and dare one another to eat the earth.