Rhyme Your Why
Emily (U.S.A.)
[research poem]
Politeness
Hidden from sight, dredged through the mud in her veins where I linger
I find solace in being a wallflower, tucked in her pockets like arthritic fingers
Never speak out of line, out of turn, or without grace
I plaster myself, smearing that pretty face
Her body shudders with disdain
All because of the torment she will gain
I creep around in the tendrils of her arteries
Forcing her to announce my existence at parties
Hollow smiles and nods, gnawing at her neck
She screams inside while others cut a check
Profuse gratitude cloaked in anxiety
Little do they know she’s of no piety
Death marches on, and I know it so well
We grew up together, born in this shell
Sweat beads from her brow
While I force her to bow
She whimpers and heaves
Never expressing her needs
The frustration inside her grows and crests
Baby birds flightless fall from their nests
Her devastating cries fall silent from sound
As she realizes she’ll forever be crowned
Never a break, always so fake
Whispered prayers landed like dew and fowl on a lake
Resentment from birth hiding in the beige
Frown lines dig more deeply than the signs of age
Evermore, I persist in creating the cyst
My once and final bow, to which she swears her vow
Inescapable exhaustion births inside
All because I love my pride
I chain and bind her cheekbones with twine
I force them upward while she goes blind
Sightless and demure, she exits like foam, riding the tide
Outside her comfort zone, her once-trusted guide