Edible Doll ~ Samantha Rose

/ Samantha Rose

They say that femininity is sweet to the taste

and too delicate to choke on.

It is a platter of cucumber finger sandwiches

and lukewarm tea served with sugar cubes

decoratively catered to the Male Gaze.

 

You, girl, are an edible doll.

Soft on the stomach, primed and proper to devour,

the only thing to satisfy a sweet tooth as well as a bored hand.

And you were always taught not to play with your food

but that didn’t stop him from making you desert.

 

You are the epitome of finger food,

your worth designed to be unraveled like licorice twists,

candy coated in curtseys, blush, low self-esteem,

and poisoned pastel femininity—

you delectable, delicate, porcelain machine.

 

You only let yourself bleed in pink.

As fingerprints are exchanged for your “purity”

you must melt on his tongue like chocolate

and always smile with your teeth—

nice girls don’t shatter on display for the world to see!

 

And you should always be sweet like frosting

and convenient like a dinner mint

and only cry tears of glitter and confetti.

Your suffering is a bittersweet delicacy,

Like sprinkles, add just enough but not too much!

 

You are too much, girl.

Mourn your body in silence and bow defeatedly to frailty.

Cry in such a way that they still love you

and fall apart softly like angel food cake.

Because if boys will be boys, then girls will be play things.

 

 

© Copyright Samantha Rose 2018

You can catch more of Samantha existing at her blog, Existential Poetry.

 

 

18 thoughts on “Edible Doll ~ Samantha Rose”

  1. Goodness me, what a delicious poem.
    So many brilliant lines…. nice girls don’t shatter on display for the world to see…they fall apart softly…
    Good girls don’t cry, hun?

    I love the criticism behind but mind you, delicate roses have lots of sharp thorns too. So if they know how to use them, femininity would just mean feeling good in your own skin.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Thank you so much. You are spot on.

      I completely agree, and just to clarify, I’m all for critiquing socially accepted standards of traditional femininity and the narrow ways in which we expect women to deal with trauma, but femininity can absolutely be powerful, because women are powerful. Femininity is amorphous and interpretive, and women should have the agency to feel good in their own skin and to live and process life in a way that suites them – even if it’s not aesthetically pleasing.

      Liked by 4 people

      Reply

      • And I love how you handled the subject. I criticize it often myself but to talk about it in a poem with such powerful images and bitter sarcasm was quite a challange and you rose to it marvelously, my dear. Please, keep surprising us. What I love about your poetry is not only the social involvement, sth that’s very close to me, but also this element of surprise. There’s a book before me. I know it’s good but I have no idea what to expect…You’re not only one book, Sam, you’re a whole bookstore.

        Liked by 2 people

      • Wow, thank you. I think both of us seem to have a thing for social criticism via sarcasm and irony. I find it makes people think about everyday issues from a different perspective.
        Once again, thank you, that’s a powerful compliment.

        Liked by 1 person

Leave a comment