the girl i see in the mirror

is not me

if it is possible that i was once that young

with a mop of orange curls

and overgrown nails because my greatest fear was nail clippers

and a scratch on my eyelid from the time i banged it open

and leggings with a hole in each knee

and knuckles with bandages on them from tether ball

and my two front teeth with a chip in one from the time i dived too deep

and an earring in one ear because it hurt too much to pierce the second

and a blister on my foot from my tight pink converse

and bangs hanging in front of my eyes

and a sunburn on my nose from hours in the sea

if, and only if, this is possible

i can’t seem to reach her

sometimes i wonder

if my life is so vividly lived

will i remember this time in black & white

or sepia

—photographs