Childhood

Her sweet blond hair
spills around bare shoulders
she
wears the black strapless dress
mommy gave her
and her seven-year-old hands
clumsily hold the cigarette,
it's end burning like
a dying Rudolph's nose,
it's body thin
and as white as
her pale,
made-up skin.
Her feet swim in high-heels.

She looks in the mirror,
bats her mascara eyelashes,
and practices blowing smoke-rings
while she waits for mommy
to stop drinking.