A Little Girl’s Timepiece

by Tina Harris

Down here, I feel
a ticking, a winding
tighter when I hurry
not to be left behind.
It tickles and tingles
when Randall rubs
my arm. Plastic baby
under my shirt makes
it tick-tock till I drop
the baby-doll down,
my panties buzzing
in alarm.


Tina Harris, former editor of Aura, UAB’s literary arts review, is currently earning a MA in creative writing at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She also teaches creative writing at Birmingham’s Work Release Facility for women.