Plastic Fantastic (10th Dec 2008, 12.54pm)
I trace my tired fingers
around my blackened eyes,
pull out every wrinkle
until I look surprised,
stretch out my turkey neck
into a smooth column of skin,
tight beneath my chin;
I look, superior, at the ceiling.
I could change my vision,
escape this blurry prison
as I dabble in my eyes for
contact lenses that attempt
to hide, flattening themselves
to the surface, pesky limpets
as I stab with crumbling
fingernails and fail my mission.
Stepping from my structured
underwear, wobbling with
the aid of an armed and ready
chair, I turn my hippopotabottom
in the light from my reflection
and, knees against the bed, I
steady my legs and lift my tired
and droopy breasts to heaven.
I could be Miss Plastic Fantastic,
spend a cool half-a-million
on a new this, new that, new
tit-for-old-and-saggy-tat,
turn this old goat into tender
mutton-dressed as lamb, and
parade my tightened splendour
to those that…love me as I am.
Comments
Dynamaso | December 10, 2008 - 22:41
The irony in this plays out beautifully. This is a well-timed piece for me as I've been talking to friends recently about how ugly and generic a lot of celebrities are starting to look, with their puffy lips and botox expressions (or lack of...)
Excellent!
Ewan | December 11, 2008 - 08:37
Some lovely (?) images Jen, 'hippopotabottom' made me laugh out loud.
Apart from being someone who agrees with Dynamaso about the scary look of some of the botox addicts, I should add I've always found the most attractive thing about anyone is their intellect.
Ewan
Bradene | December 11, 2008 - 10:19
Jennifer! you've been a fly on my bedroom wall watching me undress! c'mon admit it (: Smashing! I love the last stanza, this was great...
on a new this, new that, new
tit-for-old-and-saggy-tat,
and I too laughed loudly at hippopotabottom, gorgeously evocotive adjective if you see what I mean(: Valx
jennifer | December 11, 2008 - 10:34
Ok, ok, hands up to admit that I am 27 and everything is still high and tight and unwrinkled, but gazing at my naked self in the mirror did inspire this, as did the ridiculous way the world is going with regards plastic surgery - saw an article which showed women younger than me already having regular botox! Come on!
So this is ironic, but still, it is exactly how I shall feel years from now!
But I do claim the hippopotabottom as my own! J-Lo has nothing on me! Thank you - it makes me laugh too! hehe! I love my new word!
tcook | December 12, 2008 - 10:40
This is terrific - but it needs some work. The first verse has some horrible scansion problems - read it out loud to see what I mean. I so want to cherry this as the subject matter is handled so well - but it does have difficulties!