The Glossies

A stack of three magazines. Vogue is on top, Glamour is turned sideways in the middle, and part of an unidentifiable magazine is on the bottom. Vogue depicts a close-up of a person’s face with bangs, long dangling earrings, and an arm wearing multiple bracelets laid horizontal beneath their chin. All that is visible of the bottom magazine is a barcode in the bottom left corner and the words ‘Kiss and Tell’ in the bottom right corner.

Glamour

Vogue

Elle

Bazaar

even Seventeen,

“Where the Girl Ends

and the Woman Begins.”

I buy them all.

Their polished pages

exhausted

within days

and I’m waiting

for Next Month!’s issue.

I barely notice

the cutting-edge fashion; I’m

too busy studying the models,

looking at

smooth skin

pursed lips

sightless staring

taunting me

chanting mutely,

Join us.

Be beautiful.

Become immortal.

Thin alone may enter.

I mimic their poses

but hope drains away.

You’ll never be one of them.

Your body’s all wrong.