By Kate Maxwell
Why do they eat so much lipstick?
Apparently, in a lifetime
more than their own weight
consumed in every traffic
light stop, toilet break
and corridor waiting.
Often flaked like drought-dried
mud or just a faint ‘O’ shape
fading into outline.
When I leaned to kiss her
at the door, she tasted
like musk detergent
and left me with
a pink tooth-stained smile
and urgency for tissues.
Kate Maxwell is yet another teacher with writing aspirations. She’s been published and awarded in Australian and International literary magazines such as Cordite, Hecate, fourW, Meniscus, Blood and Bourbon, and Brilliant Flash Fiction. Kate’s interests include film, wine, and sleeping. Her first poetry anthology will be published with Interactive Publications, Brisbane, in 2021. She can be found online here.