Our thoughts in exchange for yours.

The Exchange is the Weekly’s poetry corner, where a poem or piece of writing is presented with a prompt. Readers are welcome to respond to the prompt with original poems, and pieces may be featured in the next issue of the Weekly

Hiding Places

by

and I looked everywhere for those jeans; the only pair of jeans that really made me feel like a girl; the tomboy’s redemption; my path to a femininity that fit. I liked dresses. They did not like me back. I told them to take a number and get in line.

Dug through every pile of clothes and every drawer and scanned every hanging garment searched my brothers room mommy and daddy’s dresser the coat closet by the door every basket in the laundry room the lint trap behind the washer and then the basement.

all over. everywhere.

there are so many places to hide here.

we should really get rid of some of this stuff.

I’m pretty sure I thought I found them, but I wasn’t certain—for some reason they didn’t look the same.

maybe they got washed wrong, or dried wrong. maybe I never really knew what those jeans looked like. maybe I needed a new pair anyway.

Never found another pair like them. I’ve worn a lot of jeans that made me feel like someone my crush would call cute since then.

Found out I don't really care.

This could be a poem or a stream-of-consciousness piece. Submissions could be new or formerly written pieces. Submissions can be sent to bit.ly/ssw-exchange or via email to chima.ikoro@southsideweekly.com.