Babushka : Doll
Poppy's Prompts : January Edition
They called me 'Matryoshka'
Little Matron
Matron: noun
: a woman marked by dignity / distinction.
Matron: noun
: a female
animal kept for breeding.
: noun
: person, place, or thing?
none:
(nun?)
noun:
Narn . Marn . Marm
bundled up rightly in tightly spun yarn.
Soft supple fabrics, perfected for touching.
Holding.
Swaddling
"for safety"
in savoury layers.
(saviorly?)
Oh!
So tightly!
Too tightly,
all around myself.
Oh.
Bandaged in canopic patchwork
to embalm in my own being
"and think about what you've done"
beneath the wonders of mankind.
Once, they called me 'Matryoshka'
I am not so little now.
There is more of me
Moor :
than before of me.
My dignity's stripped,
my distinction is peeling;
revealing the rough grain beneath.
Unsealing each layer
"Yes!"
willingly,
killing each version
(virgin?)
finally, to be seen.
Now, they call me Babushka
Babushka: now : noun
1. a kerchief for the head
2. an elderly woman; grandmother.
A crown
A crone
Both meant to be worn
all around myself.
Oh.
Plastered in cathartic past selves
to preserve my sense of meaning
and think about who I've been
beneath the wonder of mankind.
'Once', they called me.
.........................................................................................................................
About the Creator
J
I will not say: do not weep; for not all tears are an evil
Enjoyed the story? Support the Creator.
Subscribe for free to receive all their stories in your feed. You could also pledge your support or give them a one-off tip, letting them know you appreciate their work.
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Comments (7)
It's getting creepy now haha. I wrote a poem called Matryoshka a couple months ago. I have it submitted to 2 magazines that only accept unpublished works so I have not shared it. The whole concept of the dolls always has fascinated me and is why I ened up writing the poem. 'Plastered in cathartic past selves to preserve my sense of meaning and think about who I've been beneath the wonder of mankind.'- Beautifully written.
This is lovely J. I love the reference to mother, woman, female.
So creative, clever and informative. You showed real talent here
This is a very well thought-out poem, and yet it also has this loose, free kind of transformation to it. I love how you play on the different names for Babushka dolls to show the speaker’s transformation, as well as the incorporation of the different definitions. The rhythm is also beautifully tranquil. Well done.
well done.
This is really well done. "Plastered in cathartic past selves to preserve my sense of meaning and think about who I've been beneath the wonder of mankind." Amazing words.
The way you played with words and their homonyms gave me a real thrill. I love the loose, transformative nature of this poem.