𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐎, ⁿ. ᵐⁱᵏᵃᵉˡˢᵒⁿ ⁽²⁾ [DISCONTINUED]

𝔭𝔞𝔯𝔱 𝔬𝔫𝔢

you pink armor, lipstick rebel,
steel cheeked, slit mouth,
head to the ground, 
mean girl.

you headphones in but no music
you house key turned blade
you quick step between street lights
strainer of pricks and chest  beaters,
laughter is a foreign language
to your dry ice tongue.

Resting bitch face, they call you,
but there is nothing restful about you,
no,
lips like a flat-lined heartbeat,
panic at the sight of you,
scream for their mothers,
throat full of bees,
head spun 360 exorcist bitch.

just  trying to buy a soda,
just trying to do your laundry,
just trying to  dance at the party
and then someone asks you
to smile
and the blood  begins to riot
smile,
and you chisel away at your own jaw,
smile,
and you  unleash the swarm
into the mouth of a man
who wants to swallow you  whole.

one theory is that you are born like this
but i don't  believe it. you came out
screaming and alive
and look at you now, look  at how
you've learned to hide your teeth.

what's wrong with your face,  bitch?
your face, bitch, what's wrong with it?
bitch face, I don't blame  you
for taking the iron pipe from their hands
and branding yourself  with it,
for making a flag out of your body bag.

another theory is that you put it on every morning,
screw it tight like a jar of jelly
but i don't believe that either.
how can you sleep pretty when there are
four locks on the door and
the  fire escape feels like break-in bait?

they will tell you home is safe  zone.
no,
bitch face is safe zone, bitch face is home.
bitch face  is cutting off the ladder,
willing to burn in the apartment
if it means  he can't get in.

—olivia gatwood,
"ode to my bitch face"

girl, you are a phoenix,
they tried to kill you with flame and smoke,
but you rose from the ashes with grace and
beauty.

girl, you are a queen,
they tried to take your crown,
but you took their heads with a single swig
of your sword.

girl, you are a goddess,
they tried to make you bleed with bullets
and daggers,
but your heart is made of steel and your skin
of dragon scales.
you are more than divine—you are infinite.