Symbols that make up the breaking girl by Helen Rickerby

First comes feet, on tippy tippy

toe — a stretching, a reaching
for approval, perfection, a cracking
a creaking, a split and a snap, but nothing
that a good length of tape and some newly brokenin shoes can’t fix, shoes with the insides torn
out like an inquisition, then beaten and slashedlittle dancers, little digits, they carry her away



The next, a cliché, but an oldy and a goody,