We were taught to shy away mirrors
Mirrors and puddles and store windows
Mirrors and our own front facing cameras on our phones and the windshields of parked cars lining the streets
We’re reminded of that Greek myth,
the one of Narcissus’s slow death,
His body aching from thirst and starvation,
As dried up tears etched ghost like trails on his sunken cheekbones,
incurably mesmerized by his own reflection
We were told to stop staring at ourselves
We say this is a lesson on “why are you so full of yourself” or “don’t be so self-centered”
But, tell me, what is so sinful about being full on the days we feel so empty?
Is there really any harm in being centered when our balance is so off?
I started hating my own body when I was 10 years old,
Staring at the skinny girls in my ballet classes,
seeing barbie dolls and Disney princesses and the gorgeous models plastered on billboards.
I was no longer able to look in a mirror without staring at my flaws,
My 5 foot tall 90 pound frame not yet fully developed, my flat stomach,
But I still wasn’t skinny enough.
the daily reinforcement from my parents of the idea that I was beautiful,
Yet I still didn’t believe them because
every mirror that I looked into was a constant reminder of all of me that wasn’t good enough.
I learned how to put on mascara at the age of 11 to make my eyes look bigger
From that day forward I never left the house without makeup,
Denied myself every opportunity to look in a mirror when I wasn’t dolled up and looking my best.
At 13 I would paint my nails every week
and at 14 I barely ate
so I would look skinny in my Homecoming dress
Our society has left us corrupted by cosmetic ads,
Plastic surgery, airbrushing, and Photoshop.
We have let superficial ideals get in the way of what’s truly important.
We have been told what we should do,
What we should say,
Since day one.
We hear the story of Cinderella,
How she found her Prince Charming because she was beautiful,
Blonde hair and blue eyes,
Tiny waistline, delicate features.
That is what captivated her Prince.
Not her wit, her warmth or her kindness.
A single glance of her external beauty that tore her away from her own identity and individuality
As he made her into something that was no more than
A shell of all that she was and all that she had the potential to be.
We read these stories to the children of our society as we teach them what is
Truly important.
We mask our insecurities, caused by these unfair depictions of beauty, with modesty,
Because we cower and wince when we hear the words “I absolutely love the way my body looks today”
But we also hide from the words “I fucking hate myself, I wish I was someone else”.
We have lost ourselves in a world revolving around insignificant matters with our superficial cravings and ideas causing us to lose sight of what should be the most important.
So, to the people who say that the girl who’s sexy and knows it is egotistical, but the one that doesn’t realize it is beautiful
To these people I say bullshit
Having a cheap opinion of yourself is not modesty
Having a cheap opinion of yourself is not beautiful
Having a cheap opinion of yourself is self-destruction
So the next time you find yourself faced by your own reflection be it in a mirror, puddle, or store window
Stop and stare a little longer
Favorite lines:
ReplyDeleteHaving a cheap opinion of yourself is not modesty
Having a cheap opinion of yourself is not beautiful
Having a cheap opinion of yourself is self-destruction
The enjambment you use throughout your poem really emphasizes on your central message and really speak to the reader.
I really like the message behind this poem, and you used repetition really well. I like how you referenced Cinderella to prove your point, and your argumentation is really strong.
ReplyDeleteTHis poem is amazing omg, I love how you talk about how self-hate is not something you should try to achieve
ReplyDeleteWhat the heck this is actually such an amazing poem, especially because I feel like many people can relate to it. It's really hard for me to choose a favorite line because they are all so good, but I think if I had to choose, my favorite line would be the last two lines of your poem.
ReplyDeleteAHHHH this is so good!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite aspect of the poem was the enjambment. By not completing the thoughts in certain lines, there is a good flow, and the reader is constantly reading, especially at the parts when you're like
"What we should say,
Since day one." yenno?
You could really feel the protest and empowerment through the enjambment and even the line breaks.
Fave line: UHhhh all of them. But if I had to chose one golden line, I'd say "A single glance of her external beauty that tore her away from her own identity and individuality"
I love your poem because I feel like its so relatable, especially because of the connections that you made throughout. I really like how you connected it to Cinderella and repeated the same ideas, but in different ways, which made it more impactful. My favorite part is,
ReplyDelete"We’re reminded of that Greek myth,
the one of Narcissus’s slow death,
His body aching from thirst and starvation,
As dried up tears etched ghost like trails on his sunken cheekbones,
incurably mesmerized by his own reflection"
This is an amazing poem which does a good job of using repetition to emphasize how girls are taught to be afraid of loving themselves. My favorite lines are:
ReplyDelete"We were taught to shy away mirrors
Mirrors and puddles and store windows
Mirrors and our own front facing cameras on our phones and the windshields of parked cars lining the streets" because of the strong message they possess. Great job!!!
Devon, this poem is lovely as always! You tackle a really important issue which is almost like an elephant in the room, but you effectively talk about the importance of addressing this topic. My favorite lines were "So the next time you find yourself faced by your own reflection be it in a mirror, puddle,/or store window/Stop and stare a little longer." Amazing job!
ReplyDeleteI loved your enjambment and your use of end stops. My favorite line is "But, tell me, what is so sinful about being full on the days we feel so empty?" I also really liked how you referenced Cinderella in your poem.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you aren't afraid to put a lot of words into one line. I liked, "I learned how to put on mascara at the age of 11 to make my eyes look bigger"
ReplyDelete