Seventh Grade
I wished Miley dead, Miley and her Wonder World
Miley and her makeup team, but I suppose I didn’t
want to watch her die, because when she choked
on a giant smart phone I called out: Miley Miley
can you talk can you cough can you sing? and pounded
between her shoulder blades with three sharp blows
which failed to dislodge the giant smart phone
and Miley fell down ringing, reaching with taupe fingernails
for my unpolished toes; so I suppose I imagined
it was me falling backwards through softball practice
and family dinners, a turkey drumstick
all turning to glitter, when from some magic well
I pulled a starlet Heimlich maneuver
until her voicemail gurgle became a steady breath
and her instant messenger a tumultuous cough—
her highlights sparkled as she burst into song—
and the texting halted and the vibrating stopped.