Girl Talk
A bottle of red nail polish for me
and a pale purple one for you
We sit at the table,
paper towels underneath our identical hands,
brushing our nails with the colors
like girls at a slumber party,
and we talk about your life before Papa
How free you must have felt, Mama,
before that lilac-coated finger
was strangled by a golden ring
Bridget Van Houtem
Bridget resides in Pittsburgh, Pa., while attending Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School studying Writing and Publishing. As a staff member on BatCat Press she edits upcoming publications and practices the art of letter pressing. She is also a writer for her school’s play production company, Ensemble Immersion. Bridget is published in Pulp and Garfield Lake Review.