“Convolution,” by Charlotte Calero
May 21, 2020
Convolution
Graphite stains my fingertips.
From time spent drawing when I should be thinking.
How could I, though?
When deep purple stares from beneath my eyes.
Time is spent drawing when I should be thinking.
Doodles of people, with perfect hair and perfect smiles.
Deep purple stares from beneath my eyes.
I wish I was perfect, too.
Doodles of people, with perfect hair, and perfect smiles.
They sprawl across the pages, replace words and grades with the product of mindless fingers.
I wish I was perfect, too.
So, why am I doing this?
They sprawl across pages, replace words and grades with the product of mindless fingers.
Stream of consciousness onto school papers.
So why am I doing this?
I should be writing.
I stream rivers of consciousness onto school papers,
graphite stains my fingertips.
I should be writing.
How could I, though?
Charlotte Calero wrote this poem while at Ballard High School, with WITS Writer-in-Residence Rachel Kessler. Performed on the digital stage for a Seattle Arts & Lectures’ Poetry Series online event with Rick Barot on May 15th, 2020.