Curtain Call

Lights burning

Beads of sweat

Facades after facades

Stage left after letters

Who am I really

A part of this whole play

She puts on makeup

To hide her flaws

She puts on clothes

To hide her body

She puts on a smile

To hide her

Discontent with the world

And her own life

Acting as if

She were someone

To be admired

“Smile and look pretty”

Phrase heard often

Poison pouring into

Her own

Red- stained ears

“Every boy wants a

pretty, happy girl”

“What a beautiful daughter”

Another compliment

Poison pouring into

Her mother’s

Red-stained ears

“She’ll make a beautiful

Wife someday”

“Your goal in life is to

be happy

to find a man

and have

a family to call your

own.”

But how can I

Achieve a goal

You have set for

me

How can I

Set a goal

Within myself

That really is not for

me

How can I

Have a goal

Of being happy for

me

Is there even a me?

Was I placed

on this planet

to only be

pretty

Do my looks

define my value

Am I supposed to

be a trophy

given to a “worthy”

man

Why must I belong

to a man

when I cannot

even belong to

myself

Maybe I do not

want to

even be

pretty

Maybe I do not

want to

even have

a man

Or a family

Maybe I do not

want my life

to be

dictated by

my family’s moral values

or

my religion

or

this society

Why must there be

“what to wear for your body type”

or

“how to be a perfect woman”

Why must there be

breast augmentations

facelifts

tummy tucks

rhinoplasty

Why must there be

magazines

tv shows

media

dictating how to live my life

like my own

mother did

Why do movies

emphasize how

pretty little girls

get

the ultimate prize

of a husband

Why must there be

an

Adam

and Eve

Perhaps Eve never even wanted an Adam

Perhaps Eve wanted an Eve

But this was “unholy”

And she never had a say

And perhaps Eve

Liked shorter hair

And how

Hair grew on her leg

Perhaps Eve

Liked the rolls

Of her stomach

Or her smaller

Than desired chest

Perhaps Eve

Never liked

The way makeup

Plastered against

Her own

Skin

Perhaps Eve just wants to be Eve

Perhaps I just want to be me

I do not want my own life

To be dictated by

What women

“Should strive for”

When plenty of women

Are happy

On their own terms

I do not want my own attractions

To be dictated by

What woman

“Should look for in a man”

When plenty of women

Are happy

With being able to

Choose the gender of their

Life partners

I do not want my own

Happiness

to be dictated

by yours

Happiness is a definition

only defined by

individuals

There is no universal meaning

in

Happiness

Maybe people should realize this

like my mother

like media

like religion

But for now

I will continue to act my

role

With

Lights burning

Beads of sweat

Facades after facades

Stage left after letters

Who am I really

A part of this whole play

But I know who I am

And curtain call will soon

Reveal

All that one has

To hide