Annabelle
I wonder what Stacey thinks
when she sees me with Christopher.
Does she remember the way kids mocked him
because he stuttered like a machine gun?
Does she wonder how I can touch him
when his skin has patches of acne?
Does she compare him to Paul and Mark
and beam at how well they fare?
Do I care?
At first I did.
I was shy to hold his hand at school, knowing
everyone would look and point and talk.
But we hung on tight and now no one cares,
except Stacey, who always glares
When we walk into the auditorium
and climb the stairs to the glass booth
Where Christopher and his friends
are working the sound and lights.
Christopher showed me how to throw the big switch
And flood the stage with light, exposing
Every square inch, even the dusty corners.
It reminded me of the way Stacey stares,
Illuminating every part of me, taking me in, frame
by frame, like she’s storing away the image.
It makes me uneasy because I don’t know what
she’s planning to do with it.