15 Questions

This is a found poem, made mostly from the delightful language of 15 year old people on a summer getaway. It makes me happy to think of these creatures and what their lives might become. I hope it makes you happy too.  xo ~ tara

If you could get half a dog, which half would you get? What if cars were just boats and nobody knew? Did you just make a noise and scare yourself? Don’t wreck my jam. I just spit in your jam and stirred it around and now you have spit jam. Want to play baseball? It’s hard with acrylics. Where did you go? I just started running and then it was too embarrassing to stop running so I just kept running. It’s 11am in my books. You don’t even have books. I have read books in the past. When I was little I thought jambon was french for hamster. One time I thought I could fly so I tied a rope around my waste and jumped off the deck. If you thought you could fly why did you tie a rope? Who just mastered this whole toasting thing?  Who knew the sun was up so early? It’s 11:45. Oh. I thought you were loading the car? We were but then Abba started. Can somebody please design a bathing suit that doesn’t show your whole vagina? Exactly, nobody wants to see that. I can’t even snorkel, my body rejects it. We’re gonna get up at 3am and dig for clams. No, we’re gonna stay up til 3am and dig for clams. We’re not gonna dig for clams are we? There’s something about looking at a fish and then looking at your friend who just looked at the same fish. Why are you in such a weird mood? You gave me too many jelly beans.

Did you know you have some salad in your teeth? That’s okay, it’s whitening my smile. I have a piece of hay in my shoe, do I look like a real cowgirl? Can I be in your story? You were in my story before stories were even a thing. My cheeks are basically leather. Where did you guys go? We were just sitting in a random field. Sorry we’re late, there was a guerrilla in the road and it was really scary. It wasn’t actually a guerilla. No, it was a werewolf. Why do you need expensive shoes if you never wear them? I’m gonna wear them to your house. You look like Gerald from Finding Dory. I’ve never been more abused in my life. What did you bring? I didn’t bring pants. They’re scrapping, I’m not going in there. It’s okay, they’re out of breath now. There’s always just old ladies having raffles. I’ve got cinnamon buns for everyone! Awe, that’s so nice of you. That’s the only nice thing I’m doing all week, the rest of the time, fuck ‘em. Everything’s more funny when you lie on your stomach. Do you need a bandaid on your toe? No, I don’t. Wait, is that how Bob Marley died? Yup. Okay, hit me up. I just don’t get how the whole ocean moves up and down? We’re havin’ a low and somebody on the other side of the world is havin’ a high.

*phrases pharmed with permission from Jemma, Sophie, Seli and Lyla.

– Hornby Island, Summer 2018.