Devastatingly beautiful
brown silky locks bounce
like pillowy springs 
upon her tween shoulders

a depressingly dutiful
mother preparing to pounce 
like a leopard-y thing
words like crushing boulders

please shower, child
she says
be sure to clean your ears
her eyes secretly roll

the kid becomes riled
filled with dread
laborious measure nears
hygiene a distant goal

filthy little trolls
those tweens
testing
mom’s patience
and
everything
in between