This has nothing to do with reality.
—Suzanne Moore

Compare yourself to Toni, Virgina, Sylvia. Don’t
compare yourself to Toni, Virginia, Sylvia.
Think instead about that average man
who got your last gig.
Tell the men it’s time to step aside.
Don’t rely on the rabbit’s foot, but don’t walk
under the ladder. Become a caribou,
see the world. Be the world: sell insurance,
build boats, wait tables.
Have a child early. Late. Don’t. Don’t blame
what you do or don’t do on that child or the lack
of one. Own your chaos.
Stop looking for quiet. Follow
the sound of the siren, the chainsaw,
the couple in the café, bickering.
Find the sound of your own voice,
and then get out of your head.
Be thick-skinned. Be sensitive.
Be outspoken; you’ll be hated.
You want to be hated.
Find your red lipstick.
Wear high heels to bed.

Cathryn Cofell is an Appleton poet with two full full-length collections including Stick Figure With Skirt, winner of the 2019 Main Street Rag Poetry Award, six chapbooks, and a music/poetry CD called Lip. She’s currently Co-President for the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets and PR Maven for the Poetry Unlocked reading series. www.cathryncofell.com