Tuesday, April 28, 2015

what you see

The following poem is not speaking to one person in particular. It is addressing a collective "you". I wrote it when I was feeling frustrated about how I thought people were perceiving me, or more accurately perhaps, what they seemed to value most about me. I was struck by a painful notion that my greatest asset is my ability to dress up nice and pose for a photo. That perception on my part may or may not be true. I am not asking for anyone to appease me here, it is just something I felt and I am working with it.

I do think we can all agree though, that women tend to be objectified in our culture. That objectification comes from all directions, from men, from women, from marketing schemes, from Hollywood and the entertainment industry at large. We are submerged in these messages our whole lives, brainwashed from our very beginning.

I don't know how to change that, but I can write a poem and share it with you.
 
what you see is what you get
when you look at me
what do you see?
tell me
what part fascinates you
or is boredom creeping in?
restless for the next baited hook
i wish you would look into my eyes
so i could also see into yours
we might be transported, remade
in a mere glance of the eternal
you keep looking at something
a place on my skin
a muscle or joint
what angle enchants you?
i tried to show you my heart
but you loved me more
dressed up
skin deep
shiny facade
a piece of material
but that love languishes
deteriorating, fading
can't you see that?
flesh is mere fantasy
it fails
i wish i could shine up my heart
as good as a gold dress
beautiful and enchanting
i want to win you with
a mind that intrigues
a soul that speaks to your soul
what you see is what you get
do you get me?
we all want
to get gotten

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