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Poetry by Anna K. Crooks

These pieces come from girl poems, Anna’s debut collection and the first volume of the BRUISER Zine series. Preorders for girl poems are open NOW.

everyone is entitled to my opinion

it’s just my opinion but honestly
you can say bussy” in your poem
you can say serving cunt” even if you
don’t really get what it means you can say
“neopian” in your poem if you want and
you can say i don’t really know what’s going on”

it is a poet’s job to preserve
the vibe in the room that they live in
if your room is full of fire
you’re allowed to report on that
in your poem

i can say i am feeling my grip on reality—
it’s slippery and grippery in a way like those
weird soft plastic butthole tubeys
filled with water and glitter and
pretty chunks and beads
that we all had in the 90’s for some reason
like it feels like i’m trying to grab it real hard
and its squirting out of my hands reality’
or whatever and if i could just figure out
how to relax my grippers id be able
to hold it forever but
the temptation to squeeze
is too great always” if i want

i’m the poet
i get to decide

all the beautiful girls

small careworn green beanie frog keychain
its beans making a small crunchy sound when
you poke its soft belly and push it around on its chain

i got a flip phone just so i could clack it closed
i got that moonstruck tattoo just so i could
talk to people about the movie moonstruck
i got close to being happy i think and i got cher
in the back of my mind when i think of the perfect woman

the girls are talking and laughing
together innocently conspiratorially?
i love them i love to see women smiling
i love to see women plotting a downfall
i’m just here to admire all the beautiful girls
and i’m just watching her say that

small tiny even pink plastic shoe
with teeth marks in it distorting it
the shoe couldn’t be barbie’s now
it exists only to be chewed on

i got a best friend just so i could weird out men
in public places i got a best friend just to stay up
all night and craft fantasies with laying
on our bellies on her bed under her magazine
pictures plastered to the wall of teen heartthrobs
its barbie summer girls we are so fucking back
i got a best friend just so i could hold her hand
i got a best friend just so i could pull her hair

Anna K. Crooks

IG: @anna_y2k

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