Radium Girls

Your own eyelash
Dipped in Radium
Careful fingers painting in the lines
Cheerful glow to indicate the time
Undark
Splattered with light
Down to the waist
The brush sweeps, mind fleets
Still it won’t fade
It creeps in and in and never out
Now pretty girls glow underground
Tick tock — your hand on every wrist
And these sweet young girls
Were taught to trust
Lip tip, put fire in your cheek
It grows dim
Undark, undark, undark
Un-warned
Un-armed
Purposely uninformed
Girls who glow and can absorb the light
Unaware of catacombs inside
Make a small point
Keep the point tight
Focus your eyes
And draw the line