Manic Pixie Real Girl
You cover your smiles with Cartier watches
And I sink deeper into pages
And fictionalised gauges.
How can I begin to be your adversary?
Tears fall warm when I go
And arms hold tight when I stay.
I could not feel at ease
Suffocated by your stethoscope.
I am lovingly shoved as an optimist,
Left alone to stagnate as the opposite.
Styrofoam brain particles,
Bubbling in blue liquid.
The crease of autumn leaves,
Pinch the dirt
Between two fingers.
I traverse from clay to food,
Hands on sculpture to hands in mouth.
We are too sterile!
Both my lungs require acrylic paint,
Cream and jam scones,
Uneven fringes,
And hand-me-down rings.
I won’t hold my breath
Just because everyone else
Wants to see if they can do it.
Liberty Armstrong is a student based in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) who loves Shakespeare and has a codependent relationship with free verse. She is currently studying English and Politics and International Relations at the University of Auckland, hoping to receive an education that will set her up for a literary future. Liberty began her tertiary journey with the support of three scholarships, one being the New Zealand Outstanding Scholarship in English. She is particularly interested in unpacking plays through poetry, as she grew up drama-enthused and besotted with different styles of theatre. When she’s not writing, you can find her plotting her next themed costume party. A few bits and pieces of her work are featured on her Instagram.