by Kara Arguello
Ease up
Calm down
Soften up
Back down
Hush up
Simmer down
Tighten up
Slim down
Wake up
Quiet down
Toughen up
Lie down
Shape up
Settle down
Wise up
Tied down
Fucked up
Not beaten down
Kara Arguello was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and now lives, works, cooks, mothers, and writes in San Jose, California. She has published poems most recently in Across the Margin, Blue Kettle Review, and Red Wheelbarrow. Her work has previously appeared in Cream City Review, The Fourth River, Sugar House Review, on the blog Eat This Poem, among others, and has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize.