Girls Like Linka

Girls like Linka
Pin their hair to the wind—
Ten strands at a time—
When the first sign of trouble
Threatens to overtake them.

Girls like Linka
Dream of nothing but boys
Who know how to cruise
Up and down the cruel avenues
That litter their lives.

Girls like Linka
Behave badly at parties
Their mothers make them attend,
If only to raise suspicion
So they will not be invited again.

Girls like Linka
Turn away from their fathers
At that time of month,
Wishing the moon was a stranger
With a spare cigarette.

Girls like Linka
Love no one but themselves—
Always dressed in black—
Each day a service,
Every night a funeral.