Why do girls with
braces on their teeth
always look so much
like cats when they
smile? Even their ears
appear more pointed
and alert. Their cheek
bones higher and their
eyes so calculating
and fixed. When they
flare their nostrils
you can almost see
the whiskers twitch.
Maybe it’s just all
that metal-work
against the tender
pink of gums—that
complication of
wires and brackets
and tiny hooks
between their lips:
that hint of bird
cage door, mouse
trap sprung.
Photo By: Drew Herron
