Musty hoodie over her eagle bodice
(a nightmare to breastfeed in), she slumps;
rubs dried spit-up off an Amazonium cuff.
The tiara now holds back a bob
but it, too, has fallen into nappy changes
often enough to be under review.
Picking at the handle of the lasso of truth
with a chewed fingernail, she murmurs
I thought I’d be better at this.
Lee Fraser is from Aotearoa New Zealand and uses poetry for ogling life’s details, emotional archaeology, and comic relief, sometimes all at once. Her full-time occupations have included field linguist and parent. In 2024-2025 she had 50 pieces published, and has work included or forthcoming in Cordite, Ink Sweat & Tears, Micro Madness, NZ Poetry Society anthologies, ONE ART and Poetry Aotearoa Yearbooks. leefraserpoetry.com