Missing Pearls

I feel tension between my brows,
my mother smiles in the wedding
photo, perched upon our duo washer
and dryer. I’ve lost the pearl necklace
that lines her collar bone. I see
church ceremonies as taboo, I hate
the idea of wearing white, I do
not tell my mom about the pearls.
Observers say I am an image
of my mother. We have the same
eyes and the same crooked tooth.
Wiping dust from her smile, I reach
for the missing pearls, tightening
around my neck.

*

Lucy Dale is a sophomore at Denison University studying Creative Writing and Women’s & Gender Studies. She graduated from Interlochen Arts Academy, where she studied Creative Writing. Lucy is originally from Cleveland, OH. Her writing has been published in literary magazines such as Sink Hollow, Nebo, and The Allegheny Review. In 2024, she was the third-place recipient of the Annie MacNeill Poetry Competition.