Two poems, three photos

Madilyn Sizemore

Rosie

Design  

That familiar scent 
of refreshing honeysuckle 
and warm comfort hit  
hard. Suddenly I’m transported  
back in time. Sitting 
on the granite bathroom counter.  

I can feel the cold  
scissors lay across my forehead,  
your hands shaky with age, 
hearing the crunch of my hair as 
the scissors slice through my hair. 
Thanks to you, we made  
micro-bangs a thing 

before they were trendy. 
Your Yankee twang with a pinch  
of that French accent  
whispers sweetly in my ear as you  
rock me to sleep. I nuzzle  
into you, feel safe in your arms like  

nothing can harm me,  
protected from everything. You smell  
of spring flowers warm  
from the sun like freshly washed clothes 
hanging on the line. Far  
different than the smell of your kitchen,  

boiling crab and beer. 
Nothing brings you more joy than having  
your family around the  
dining room table with nonstop laughter,  
snorting and tears of happiness. 

Abandoned

Golden Shovel- ‘My Rights’  

-after Maya Angelou's “And Still I Rise” 


My bodily rights should not be decided by you. 
It's not your place, or any man’s and if I may, 
let me remind you, without women, you might want to write 
this down, the world can’t go on without women. Me  
and my girls hold the power. Try to tear us down  
all you want, but in  
the end, our fight and rights will make history. 

Lindsey


Madilyn Sizemore is a senior at Columbia College pursuing a major in Studio Art. After graduating she plans to get her MFA and wants to pursue a career in teaching art.