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But my hair is OK – With Real Toads

freyathewriter 18 Comments

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Whose idea was it

– please enlighten me –

back in the eighties

to instal changing rooms in clothes shops

with no privacy?

Mirrors were no friend of mine at home

let alone when in the company of svelte girls.

Harsh-lit under lighting

guaranteed to magnify my cellulite

and glint on the mouthful of metal

glued to my teeth by a dentist with no pity for

teenage sensitivity.

I was encircled by girls –

with perfect hair

with perfect bodies

with perfect teeth

with perfect make up.

Whose idea was it, I ask you?

It was the school changing rooms all over again

and the dash through the communal showers

as fast as I could without slipping over on those

god-awful brown and yellow tiles.

 

I still hate shopping for clothes –

thighs too robust to fit in jeans

knees too chunky for on-the-knee skirts

biceps too muscly for long sleeved shirts.

 

I like my hair though.

It’s too wild and woolly for fashion these days.

But about that one thing, I don’t care.

 

Over at Imaginary Garden With Real Toads, Magaly is hosting and asks us to write about one of three bees – the Queen Bee, the bee that works the hardest or the bee that doesn’t fit in. Of course I chose the latter. I don’t feel that I’ve ever fitted in anywhere really (although the writing and art community seems to be suiting me rather well these days!). That not fitting in thing was certainly a theme of my growing up…

Please head on over to The Garden, have a good read and if you feel inspired, join in!

Fidelity – dVerse

freyathewriter 31 Comments

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Artist: Claudia Schoenfeld

He holds his guitar as a lover,
Stroking the maple, the cherrywood,
And most of all, the singing strings.

His sleep is filled with chords,
His duvet undulates beneath his fingers,
His mattress sighs at his sweet nothings whisper

Yes, all of his guitars are his one true love.

 

Courtesy of dVerse, where we continue to celebrate 5 whole years of poetic gloriousness, I have learned today about the form that is the sevenling. I have tried my hand at it – using music as the inspiration as requested – I hope it’s sufficient enough to be considered one!

We also have a fabulous interview with Claudia, who is not only a poet, but an artist as well. I have just found out that she is an urban sketcher too – I try my hand at it, mostly whilst waiting for trains, or on trains, as part of my way of relaxing on the daily commute. The picture above is one of her vibrant works! Thank you, Claudia, for allowing us to use one of your paintings today.

Beneath – Prompt Night A Dash of Sunny

freyathewriter 31 Comments

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Cut me open first,

then you.

Carve a Y incision like we’re post- mortem

but remember, we’re still breathing, keep that in mind.

Always.

Here we are, our organs exposed to the same air, steaming slightly.

That’s a good sign.

If you look carefully, just there, that’s right, you can see my heart beating,

nestled behind its bone-cage.

Protected. Safe.

Slide your fingers between,

touch it, go on, absorb its vitality, its strength, its determination.

Now feel yours.

What’s different?

Nothing? Nothing.

It’s like we’re the same underneath.

Let’s stand side by side, let’s look in the mirror.

Ignore the blonde hair not black, ignore the skin of a darker hue, ignore the blue eyes versus brown

Stare deep within

See my lungs, intestines, maybe even my liver hidden at the back.

Give yourself the same scrutiny.

We’re the same, inside,

nothing much to separate us really.

We’re all blood, bone and guts in the end.

The same.

Hate me, and you’re hating yourself.

 

Such a waste.

 

Here’s my entry to this week’s prompt from A Dash of Sunny, where we are invited to write prose or poetry intended to dispel hatred. I’ve been pondering on this on and off all day, since my first thought was that I needed to write something light, cheerful and, well, sunny. The thing is, that’s not my metier (not right now, anyway). I inhabit the dark side mostly, and whilst I can write light, cheerful and sunny, it’s something that I need ot practice at. And at this end of the week, I feel rather drained!

Anyway, I took another approach – focusing on our similarities, highlighting that no matter what, we are all just humans underneath. But with a dark twist, of course. I hope you like it (or if not, perhaps appreciate it for what it is), I hope it fills the brief sufficiently well.

And as is my usual way, I encourage you to read the other entries and… take part yourself!