Terrible 2
she wanted to be good
she always wanted to be good
but she was sloppy
she would paint the walls with black Sharpie ink
stains that grandma couldn’t remove
she took the clay and smeared it into the carpet
mom never let them play with play-doh again
she hid in the kitchen cupboard stealing candy
gobbling gobs of it
she lied about the sweets even when mama could see right through her
she bit her sister and fought like a cat
screaming, spitting, hissing
but she wanted to be good
she ate the sand from the sandbox
even when mama said don’t
she saw herself in the mirror and cried
what a mess
what a waste
how can i be like big sister? she’s always so
obedient
so elegant
so calm
so dutiful
such a worthy child
everything she wasn’t
wild
brazen, clumsy, mischievous, conniving, cunning
liar, liar pants on fire
she was used to mama’s screams of rage
time outs, spankings, scowls, sighs of exasperation
but why was she so backward
she would ask herself
she would ask God to change her
she didn’t know who she would be
years later
Mama said,
“I don’t know how you turned out so well;
you were my wild child;
but you are so wonderful.”
if it quirks.. 