2000’s Eyebrows

Sometimes a little sperm-shaped, always
thin and deliberate as pop singers: Stefani,
Spears, Shakira. Sitting criss-cross
on the closed toilet, Scarlett, whose mother
I never saw after 7 PM and who never
asked me if I was allowed to drink
Starbucks, said eyebrows are sisters
not twins, as we tweezed tiny tire irons
onto our faces using a magnifying mirror.
My mother suggested we follow our
natural shape, but of course we didn’t listen.
We weeded the furrow, carefully crafted
caret symbols, as if readying ourselves to
agree with everything our boyfriends
said was over our heads. Years later,
lying on a sheet of crinkly paper on
a plastic bed, I watched the waxer blow
on the popsicle stick before the hot strip
ripped a scythe into my raw pink skin.
I know now they’re out of fashion.
Bushy is back, as is strong and bold
and feathered. I’m not asking for
a comeback, all I’m trying to say is
I’ve spent years trying to grow out
the look of surprise on my face.

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Lexi Pelle was the winner of the 2022 Jack McCarthy Book prize. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in Rattle, Ninth Letter, One Art, Abandon Journal, and 3Elements Review. Her debut book, Let Go With The Lights On, will be released in March.