Bubblegum Hot Chocolate

Pink hair sits atop my head
like a bubblegum bubble
threatening to pop
I let it down,
the hair cascading down my back.
In the mirror,
I look different,
not the normal face I am used to seeing.
Is this what strawberry shortcake feels like every day?
I'm still rolling the question in my head
when I submerge myself into the steaming water.
Pink spills around me and I realize
that my hair has turned into a bath bomb
I laugh.
How unusual it is to bathe in your own dirt.
Maybe this is why people prefer showers
over baths.
I like them though, it makes me forget
about the gloomy weather
that forces me to huddle inside
under a fort made of blankets and pillow
and hot chocolate on the stove.
The smell of chocolate
filling my apartment as if I live
inside Willy Wonka's factory.
I've got the golden ticket
that keeps me from the cold
and I embrace that heat,
not worrying about letting it cool
for the fear of losing any warmth,
any of the curiosity,
that I was born with.

                           tessa juliane