First facts: female and how much I weighed.

First thrill: losing my voice after hours.

From the world’s first cities, it was always a woman

telling the future.

First time a man threw a hundred-dollar bill

at me to fix a broken screen, I was already classically trained in this.

After all, the last few pages of any book are blank, a paper moon.

A green leaflet before the book starts and a green leaflet at the end —

First thing I drew were Gibson girls.

I was young as hell, a girl’s first ride.

Lauren Hilger is the author of Lady Be Good (CCM, 2016) and Morality Play (Poetry NW Editions, Summer 2022). She serves as a poetry editor for No Tokens.

Marie Pop is the pseudonym for the collaboration between Anique Weve and Inge Aanstoot. Marie Pop is based in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Their work consists of mixed media pieces, often combining photography and painting.