She was only eight years old
when they taught her how to
hate her body, made her memorize
the inverse proportional rule for
calculating worth pound by pound
and she was such a smart child that
she learned it faster than any of the
other girls, even the skinny ones who
excelled at rote recitation of the
you don’t matter you don’t matter
formula but failed the inward directional
practicum that was her own special forte
and had earned her highest marks overall,
and everyone was impressed by how well
she’d learned the lesson that only
the leggy women in the magazines who
wore sunglasses even when it was cloudy
were permitted any embodied pleasure
but secretly her parents wondered where
their wild and beautiful daughter had gone.
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The ending was incredible. Liked the whole breathless poem–and yes they learn at 8 or younger
my heart absolutely dropped when i read the last time,,, this was so sad but so true…. maybe that is why,,, it is so sad….
Ah, my. Great job – so much truth. Nice flow and accessible words.
Nowadays they start so young. Where has childhood gone?
ahh, the quest for perfection.. beauty gone mad. Sad isn’t it. A powerful ending.
wow, this reads like a long flowy powerful sentence. and like everyone, i too love the last lines.
Yes, I too found this moving and sad, and too true.
A strong write. It’s sad to see how young they start out questioning themselves these days. I wish all of them the best in life and I hope they can find a way to live their life happily for themselves. The last lines especially struck me because the parents should be guiding there child in a more constructive way instead of putting them down and making them feel worthless.
Keep up the good work.
Michelle
Interesting ..
Writing that matters. Good job.
excellent. thanks for sharing this one
This poem hit home as I watch both daughters define themselves by the pound. The ending was touching for me as I watch their weight rob them of their inner beauty.
Really poignant poem
Great commentary. The situation is heart-breaking; you’ve done a great job of bringing that to our notice in a beautiful way. Beautiful and heart-rending.
One comma. One period. I was swept up into the urgency and desparation of the young woman. Heartbreaking.
Truth is in the poem. Nice read.
but secretly her parents wondered where
their wild and beautiful daughter had gone.
As if the rest of it was’t sad enough, you just had to go and add that. Heartbreaking, mostly because of its accuracy.
I love love love this poem. Love the way it flows, love what it says and how it says it, and especially love the ending lines. This feels very authentic and I love it. (Did I say that enough?)
“She was only eight years old
when they taught her how to
hate her body, made her memorize”
a poem with a very conscious point put across. I love the hidden way u have put the point across. Super. Keep on posting
Did you ever want to reach into a poem and hug someone? That’s how I felt when I read your entry. Very well done.
Wow. I could cry over this one. Remarkable work.
A heartbreaking piece, ThisGirl. Sad that things we learn so young, whether right or wrong, affect us for years and years.
This is very good indeed. The last lines are heartbreaking.
Wow. That one cuts deep. Its a feeling that many women can relate to, no matter what their weight or story. Really stunning.
A powerful message. For different reasons, I really connected with the line “and she was such a smart child that
she learned it faster than any of the
other girls.” Very true, I think, and the impact is immense.
oh that was wonderful… self image is such a whirlwind.. and so sad for girls coming up who are less than perfect… you spoke this with so much reality,, that if it is not based on fact i would be rather surprised.. it speaks volumes…..
A sad truth – delivered beautifully.
This one goes right to my heart. I’ve been thinking a lot about this time in my life, and in the lives of many young girls, ever since I wrote about Ophelia. A poignant poem.
[...] The poem in its original form can be found here. [...]