social commentary
There's a rich history of poetry serving as social commentary, intended to inspire calls to action.
Inventing The Great Wide Open
Before the little girl, lay five outfits Pretending to pretend is acceptable A princess, doctor and mommy are as simple as putting on an outfit, as long as she commits Anything is possible and detectable Today five outfits wait, but only one truly fits, as much as she hates to admit Her image is just perceptible Synthetic still shows the nervous sweat trying to hide beneath her armpits Today she chooses the usual and comfortable, even she isn't sure beyond being respectable She looks back, but leaving four what-ifs is fine, she can pick with time if time permits Five years later, one heavily worn, same four outfits hang in the closet, with no walking around time, stitched regrettable The image still exits when she slides them on, not yet misfits Ten years later, naked, five outfits before her, a couple more inherited, hard to choose with more collectibles Now seen as lines in society used to divide and split Pretending is unacceptable When they can open doors, elevate power, seduce and remit Twenty years later, five outfits before her, she's helped into one, unconcerned with what it says or omits Still holding on to two she can't part with, looking for ways to make them adaptable To who she hoped she always was and befits Styles, colors and meanings only she finds contestable
By simplicityabout a year ago in Poets
