»
Archives
»
Open Poetry #23
»
Child's Play
| Open Poetry #23 |
|
Child's Play |
|
|
serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738
|
I never played with Barbie much-- her perfection bored me. That vaccous stare of painted eyes, massive chest so traumatic (I swear I think she stunted me) long blonde tresses always had some strange quirk of crimp from too much time kept in a box on display--even then a market of enticement. I saw the girls across the street-- a southern Rockwell painting-- playing on a blanket spread shaded by the heady scent of magnolia showing off. I frowned behind the glass and thought: "This doesn't look so bad today." Thus I began the mad hunt-- a gathering of dolls and as much of their acoutrement that survived reality of me and all my escapades scattered in my grim toy chest. I tossed it all into that hot pink vinyl carry-case complete with clever little niche inside-- designed to keep Barbie in her place-- even as a child I thought it looked too much like a crypt. I shrugged and snapped the buckle tight before I crossed the street. I was wary--quite unsure of what reception I'd receive-- girls were fickle even then-- I knew they might tell me to leave-- but today was different... Robin's mother sat with them a grown up deigned to play. Ever cagey--somewhat mean-- I knew that I'd be granted grace if only for appearance sake. "Come sit by me" her mother sang. Something shuddered down young bones-- this woman--she was something else. She always tried to braid my hair. Pulling at my head too hard always saying "beauty hurts" as she raped my scalp. I sighed and sat there injun style. She smiled and said, "you brought your case!" with troubling inflection of sacharine approval. I exhaled in pure relief quite unsure what I'd done right praying to a silent god that she would leave my hair alone. I was shy so she took leave and then unbuckled Barbie's case-- revealing in leaf patterned sun the mess of me inside. The first thing we saw was Skipper's head-- obscenely smiling--bright blue eyes-- Robin's mother now looked grim-- she picked it up with a two fingered repulsion and looked at me: "What on earth...???" So I said the most I'd ever had to this woman I found so strange, this woman who was home all day and even wore an apron. So I explained about the day that Jimmy's dad had brought home sand and gravel in a great big pile and me and Jim were thrilled with this-- He ran to get his G.I. Joe and "skipper" was the only doll that I could produce-- my dog had eaten Barbie. But Jim, he never seemed to mind-- he said--"I know--let's bury her up to her neck so my Joe can rescue her and save the day!" (It seemed exciting at the time-- so I complied.) G.I. Joe, now there's a man! I even loved his scars. I grimaced at the perfect Ken even way back then-- I liked a man with confidence and plus? Y'see...he had this gun... I told her all about that day, and how we soon grew bored. So we took the head off of little sis and left the body in the sand and used that vapid stare as goal-- a target for our marble skills. She was silent so I went on-- I told her about G.I. Joe and how in the war he rescued her from the white slave trade. I thought that woman had seen a ghost. She dropped the head back in my case and asked me to come with her--inside. She told me to sit at her table and then? she washed her hands. She told me that my game was wrong-- little girls don't do such things-- in fact they shouldn't even know-- how she thought that I should go home and take a bath. Funny just how easily innocence is dirtied by such implicity of guilt. "Wait" she said, "first tell me more. What other games do you know?" I felt a curtain drop inside. Oh I wanted to, I did. A war of wills in eight-year old but something held my tongue. I wanted to tell her everything. All about her son. Why I stopped spending the night, and started chewing Barbie legs, and blamed it on my silent dog. So I sat there quietly and saw my face in her waxed floor-- a speck of dust in a perfect world that smelled of Mr. Clean. [This message has been edited by serenity blaze (11-26-2002 09:58 AM).] |
||
| © Copyright 2002 serenity blaze - All Rights Reserved | |||
Lady In White
since 2001-02-12
Posts 2799USA |
This has a Blaize all its own... hugging memories... and releasing nightmares... |
||
|
Cpat Hair
since 2001-06-05
Posts 11793 |
I see.... |
||
|
serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738 |
smiling--I almost titled this "a shrink's feast"!  |
||
|
Seymour Tabin Member Empyrean
since 1999-07-07
Posts 31720Tamarac Fla |
serenity, An ocean full of words and wind And a ship of sails sailing through. Enjoyed. |
||
|
Alicia Member
since 2002-03-22
Posts 279 |
~This took me K,...it still has me. *Peace. |
||
|
Miah Senior Member
since 2002-08-26
Posts 1062Pennsylvania |
This was excellent! Many layers to this poem. Thanks for the read dear lady.  |
||
|
wranx Member Elite
since 2002-06-07
Posts 3689Moved from a shack to a barn |
This is terrible in its' beauty witch. Beautiful in its' terror. Yeti hugs, Ed |
||
vandana
since 1999-10-22
Posts 10463USA |
enjoy your read |
||
|
Sudhir Iyer Member Ascendant
since 2000-04-26
Posts 6943Mumbai, India : now in Belgium |
vaccuous stare sacharine approval dirtied innocence... WOW.... Regards O Serene One... sudhir |
||
|
brian sites Senior Member
since 2002-06-25
Posts 1475usa |
blast rubble flower in the rocks rising dust whips my eyes |
||
|
Janet Marie Member Laureate
since 2000-01-22
Posts 18554 |
I saw the girls across the street-- a southern Rockwell painting-- playing on a blanket spread shaded by the heady scent of magnolia showing off. I frowned behind the glass and thought: "This doesn't look so bad today." Thus I began the mad hunt-- a gathering of dolls and as much of their acoutrement that survived reality of me and all my escapades scattered in my grim toy chest. I tossed it all into that hot pink vinyl carry-case complete with clever little niche inside-- designed to keep Barbie in her place-- even as a child I thought it looked too much like a crypt. ========================================= writing FABULOUS fiction again baby? ya worked the crowd with this one ya know?had us eating out of your hand....till the ends impact of intend slammed into the heart strings.  |
||
|
serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738 |
I am thankful that Thanksgiving is here, since I seem to be so sadly lacking in the gratitude dept! My apologies, good people.  true confession: sometimes I hate to thank you all individually, as your comments, questions and oh-hug-me praise tend to provoke books of thought in me. So, I just yell, "group hug" and I'm off to read and write again... love to you all. |
||
|
passing shadows Member Empyrean
since 1999-08-26
Posts 45577displaced |
issues...I wish I could share mine so well. |
||
|
Aenimal Member Rara Avis
since 2002-11-18
Posts 7350the ass-end of space |
Karen this is simply amazing..i'm in awe.. an exorcism of pain |
||
|
bsquirrel
since 2000-01-03
Posts 7855 |
Hurt beauty, pink crypts and so much YOU! |
||
|
|
⇧ top of page ⇧ |
|
| All times are ET (US). All dates are in Year-Month-Day format. | ||
