I Need 5 More Minutes to Do My Makeup
I remember when I arrived in Georgia
to find there was no such thing
as too much eye shadow
and I covered my lids in malachite green
sparkling like a beetle,
never too bright.
The sky welcomes fireworks.
Its inky blackness envelopes them.
Georgia reached its arms around my joy
safeguarding it, never too much
to be welcomed.
What I mean to say is
there, I could take off my glasses
and spread my wings.
Maggie Russell is an essayist, poet, editor, and former attorney. Her work has been published most recently in Flash the Court, January House, and Five Minute Lit. She volunteers with programs that teach writing in prison. Her work has been nominated for Best of the Net in 2025. Raised by the woods in Connecticut, she now lives in Nashville with her husband and pets.