The David Bowie Phase

It was a phase

I’m pretty sure

everyone goes through it

In the months

after I watched Labyrinth for the first time

I developed a crush on Jennifer Connelly

and an obsession with David Bowie

My mom refused to buy me pants like his

but I tried to improvise as best I could

strategically placing safety pins

along the back of my pant legs

to make my grey sweat pants skin-tight

The hair was easy

with enough of my sisters hairspray

I could make magic happen

My parents put an end to my prancing

when they came home and saw me

dressing up our dog to look like Ziggy Stardust

and singing a duet of Changes

(ventiloquism’s been a secret talent of mine,

I’m told since birth)

After that they took down all my posters

confiscated my cassette tapes

and signed me up for little league football

But the crush on Jennifer Connelly

that I still have.