cotton candy stick legs
sea salt and faded
swimsuit
cotton candy stick
arms
squinting eyes metal
smile shock of
yellow cotton candy
hair
as the waves like
melted blue marshmallow
ice cream puddle on
the background
and the sand like
crushed toffee
and the sticky-sweet
neon smell of
boardwalk
make that metal
smile as bright as the
sun reflecting off the
ocean
and the swimsuit
hangs loosely on
her too-skinny
goosebumpy body
exposed
but it’s a vacation
so for once mom doesn’t
nag about the fact
that she only ate
a few bites of
cotton candy and
threw the rest away
and was sick later
because at least she’s
smiling
even if her eyes
are squinted shut
against the pain of
that too-blinding
metal grin