This girlchild was born as usual and presented dolls that did pee-pee and miniature GE stoves and irons and wee lipsticks the color of cherry candy. Then in the magic of puberty, a classmate said: You have a great big nose and fat legs. She was healthy, tested intelligent, possessed strong arms and back, abundant sexual drive and manual dexterity. She went to and fro apologizing. Everyone saw a fat nose on thick legs. She was advised to play coy, exhorted to come on hearty, exercise, diet, smile and wheedle. Her good nature wore out like a fan belt. So she cut off her nose and her legs and offered them up. In the casket displayed on satin she lay with the undertaker's cosmetics painted on, a turned-up putty nose, dressed in a pink and white nightie. Doesn't she look pretty? everyone said. Consummation at last. To every woman a happy ending. I submitted the poem from my previous entry as my seventh workshop in creative writing class. When the teacher asked me if I've ever read Barbie Doll by Marge Piercy, I told her I hadn't. She replied with a disappointed look and said, well, it's very similar to your poem. too similar, actually. And walked away. I only added the nose-cutting part today, right before giving the assignment in, thinking it will add originality. Hahaha.