i smashed my head

 

 

in a circle before ballet class

hand in hand

with girls in candyfloss slippers

and little wraparound skirts

 

someone gave my hand a good pull

down i went

 

an odd thwack

it hurt but

i jumped up

differently

 

i had given my head

a fantastic crack

let something out

let something in

 

later that night i sat shivering by our fire

odd thoughts were ranging through me

our mother noticed i was

differently

she put me to bed

but

 

i woke up

to the morning

leaping through the window

differently

 

©Jennifer Compton

 

‘i smashed my head’ was published in Rabbit.

 

Jennifer Comptom is a poet and playwright who also writes prose. Her most recent poetry collection, Mr Clean & The Junkie, was published by Mākaro Press in 2015 and was longlisted for the Ockham NZ Book Awards. She lives in Melbourne.