they ask why i don’t wear makeup
copper sundays bleed concrete
stilettos
and a ten minute
pōhutukawa road
they hide
behind petroleum compliments
and leg-appreciating honks
no hate here
they cherish both uniform
and red church dresses
shame burns my chest
i have cactus eyes now
a calculated deafness no longer silences
and opprobrious admiration echoes
catcalling;
‘caterwauling
women
only’
the sign says
male ears shouldn’t have to listen
cradled lullabies choke
———-bruised words;
private school brotherhoods
wear ignorance like lynx
‘only desperate liars lie here’
don’t cry
wolf
whistle
i won’t
crying smudges eyeliner
Harriet Carter
Year 13
Northcote College
