Flashing Bunny Ears

the end of a long, long school week
i get to go home and...

oops! no i don't
Trunk or Treat tonight
decorated cars
families slowly driving through
candy coming at them from all angles

last year
when i taught 6th grade
we were studying mythology
i was Medusa
i'd found a woven plastic headband
threaded the tails of rubber snakes through it
the snakes stuck out in all directions
everyone loved it

this year?
fuck costumes
fuck everything
fuck TJ twerking his fat ass in class

i'm just tired

at the last minute
i found my cast-aside bunny ears
they have flashing LED lights
pretty ones- pink, purple, green

so there i am at Trunk or Treat
resplendent in my size 12 jeans
ugly black school logo t shirt (it's a Friday thing)
Revlon 12 hour Color Stay lipcolor
refusing to work overtime
no other makeup
hair unbrushed since morning
purple fabric peeling off of the headband
clumping like those weird sidecurls
worn by Hassidic Jewish men

a car pulls up to my station

bunny ears flashing
i grab a handful of fun-sized candy
ready to greet the family
fill treat bags through the window

there's a little boy in the backseat
maybe 5 years old
as i'm depositing twix and kit kats
he looks at me
and says with the purest sincerity
You look beautiful


i can't be tricked into believing it's true

but hearing it from such a sweet source
was definitely a treat