Tuesday 21 June 2016

Tween girl

I've been wanting to write about this fascinating stage of childhood which we have come to call 'tweenage', 8-13 or 14, and when I started it came out like a poem. So I went with it. 


Tween girls
On the brink of they don't know what
Not little kids anymore, they think
Posing in front of mirrors (or any reflective surfaces)
Examining faces, imaginary blemishes
Hand on hip, pelvis tilted, looking back over shoulder at reflections
Shy smile, bold smile, batting lashes
Minx coquette and yet
Innocent. 
They can't know what lies ahead. 
And then giggles and tickles and being mean to little sisters
then being helpful 
To mum and then hating her and then wanting her stuff and her approval;
And then
Attitude. 
Clear skinned and coltish and pouty and laughing and cartwheeling and twirling
unselfconscious and self-conscious in turns
Sitting hugging knees, or with legs flung out, unashamed and then embarrassed
Flick hair up flick hair down 
Side pony tail then not, then braids then not, hair never long enough
Bikes and skates and scooters and longing for makeup
Hate boys like boys hate boys 
Dirty boys stupid boys 
Boys
Too old for play dates, too young to hang out at the mall Hanging on to older girls, sitting at their feet, worshipping and listening and learning
They don't know what
They are
Between
Tween




1 comment:

  1. Came across your blog and loving it! This poem is spot on ..speaking from experience :)

    ReplyDelete