An Apology
January 25, 2007
I want an apology.
For the gloss wrapped varnish
of womans magazines.
For the fish slick pages
of fake dreams, models
like showroom cars,
with their red, slashed
gloss of beguiling charms,
come hither dressed in
children’s jeans.
I want an apology
for the girl,
splaying the weight of her thighs
on a gym seat, frowning in a mirror
and connecting up the
place at which they meet with
skimming the calories of breakfast.
For the long-fast
of the woman shivering in spring,
examining her wrist
like a witch through railings .
For the witch,
who’s really just a
woman over 30,
sensing the new moon of
an old religion, and the icons
turning against her – pointing
their bone milk sticks
at the lines that she’s made
whilst falling in love and
breaking her heart and
having a future –
and calling them ugly.
For The Snow Queen –
happy to be childless
and The White Witch –
carving a world from the ribs
of male morality.
For the blood on her gown
and the hooves in her face
and the maw of a lion.
For the old crone,
and the weird sisters
and the 4 siblings
that couldn’t all be
Cinderella:
for the women who fall
so she can stand
I want an apology.
Powerful, the statement of the 4 siblings and Cinderella, for the women who fall so she can stand. We don’t often appreciate that aspect of the prosperous.
fish slick pages of fake dreams is a great line too.
I can tell you feel the message is important.
hey i like it!
I want an apology too.
Beautiful, powerful poem. I’m so glad I found it!
Thankyou ladies. I was really happy to read such lovely feedback:)
Jbetz: So glad you focused on the Cinderella reference. Wanted to explore the way that woman are often maligned in our collective imagination – seen in folk and fairy tales – but then bring it back to the starting point idea of beauty mags, designed to make us feel worse. Celebratey is about the celebrated-and they are dependent for their existence on there being a celebrating and of course-an uncelebrated….tried to find your blog but it came up empty-where are you?
Ivory: Glad you’re back-but where have you gone?:(
Melissa: Nice site-very different to the poetry ones I usually frequent-so also glad I found you. The coat hanger post was the most effecting thing i’ve seen in a while. Thanks
Very nice. As the mother of a high-school daughter, I spend a lot of time in conversation about these very issues. Millions of young women deserve an apology.
drop me a mail when you get a min …. ivoryfishbone@yahoo.com
xxx
Fabulous. I want an apology too.
You’ve used some wonderful, powerful language and imagery in this poem. ~much peace, JP