Tongue Twister
written by: Jackie Chou
Dirty, I said
when I meant thirty
a word I couldn’t say
the th sound
of the English language
eluded my tongue
I was Eliza Doolittle
begging for guidance
be it a song
a couple of lit candles
to blow out
a tongue twister
which a drama teacher
gave me to practice
the feather farther
than the father
I wanted anything
that would erase my accent
my upbringing
make me a lady
one syllable at a time
the word thirty
known in my bones
Jackie Chou is a poet of free verses and Japanese short form poetry who has work forthcoming in Mollyhouse Lit and Cyan: an Anthology of Confessional Poetry. Her poem "Cycle of a Tree" was nominated for a Pushcart by Highland Park Poetry.
Latest posts by Jackie Chou (see all)
- I’m No Fun - April 27, 2024
- Bravo - January 26, 2024
- Remembering an Old Crush - September 18, 2023
