Hello, beautiful reader! We are in testing mode at my school, and I am exhausted. As an empath, it's hard to be around so many stressed out students. Luckily, tomorrow is a teacher planning day, so I can release all that tension and reset for the next week.
Today, I am partaking in Wea've Written Weekly (W3) Prompt #205. Marion invites us to write a poem with the theme "Beneath the Surface." She gave the example of bulbs lying dormant in the ground until spring, but my mind went in a totally different direction.
Beneath the Surface
she smiles
to mask her insecurities
that inner voice telling her
she isn't good enough to belong
she laughs boisterously
to mute the echoes of anguish
reverberating from her parents' fight
that morning
she belts out lyrics
to turn her nightly cries
into something beautiful
she portrays a picture of perfection
her complexion just right
her shadows, blush, and lipstick
the epitome of beauty
while concealing her bruises and cuts
under the newest fashion trends
she is the envy of all
who pretend to know her
but never take the time to discover
what's beneath the surface
Would you like to write a poem for this prompt? Join us here.
A very insightful moving poem. Most of us know someone like this.Well done.,,Rall
ReplyDeleteThank you, Rall! I appreciate your visit. :-)
DeleteVery powerful Yvette! Xo
ReplyDeleteThank you, Denise! I appreciate you visiting! :-)
DeletePeople are so focused on themselves that they rarely discover what lies beneath the surface. Powerful poem, Yvette.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Indira! I appreciate you stopping by. :-)
DeleteYou capture the mask so perfectly, in all its forms, Yvette. The last two lines are so often true, aren't they? I love this, and that the prompt took you somewhere far away from daffodil bulbs (😊) .
ReplyDeleteThank you, Marion! I'm so happy you liked it. Thank you for visiting! :-)
DeleteI love this poem Yvette, it opens up so many questions to explore 💞
ReplyDeleteThank you, Suzanne! I appreciate your visit. :-)
DeleteYou capture the mask perfectly Yvette 🩷
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ange! I appreciate you visiting. :-)
DeleteThis one hit so close to home. I am sure many of your readers will feel a kinship with the girl you so deftly described here.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing that, Violet! Sadly, I agree with you.
DeleteWow, I am sorry to read about this lovely person. I hope one day she can BE herself no matter of who's around. You captured her anxiety very well Yvette. I hope this is fiction, but i'M sad this is far too true of many. Thanks for sharing. xo, Selma.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Selma! It is fiction, but I have had many students in the past who fit into one or more of these categories. I appreciate your visit. :-)
DeleteYvette, the line “she laughs boisterously / to mute the echoes of anguish” feels especially real to me; it shows how much she’s carrying while everyone just sees the surface.
ReplyDeleteMuch love,
David
SkepticsKaddish.com
Yes. We tend to think people who are comedic or always happy do not have inner turmoil, but that is not necessarily true. Thanks for stopping by, David! :-)
Deletehi, Yvette❣️
ReplyDeleteThis week's W3, hosted by our beloved Nigel, will be live until next Monday (April 13):
W3
Enjoy 🙃
Much love,
David
SkepticsKaddish.com
Awesome! I'll go check it out now. Thanks for letting me know. :-)
Delete