tongue-colored teenagers, the mouthfuls play
forsaken, lolli-popped in flavor trade
fuchsia oral fixated stains decay
vagrant innocence by candy swirl fade
dissolving taste of a faint youthful sweet
blow pop-boulevard slag, cigarette dreamers
who bite in disbelief and still secrete
cravings with stomachs for naked redeemers
nail polish chipped, prophet pinstripe patrol
drip modern saliva on whimsy war
though not yet fail-stained cold, teeth sinking told
or unmasked apple rotten at the core
but plum eye shadow dark, goth ghetto charming
forming in bubblegum anthems unsung
so eager tattoo and bra‐strap revealing
are old lolly‐cuts that start on the tongue

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