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Aspiring Actress
by Malika BiersteinI've always wanted to play the part
of one of those button-nose blondes
in that corny seventies show.
Marsha, Jan, and Cindy always had
candy-toothed smiles, smooth braids
bunched with perfect pink ribbons
and a father that came home every night.
I always wanted to watch my mother glow
when he put his arms around her thin waist,
her only worry what Alice picked up for dinner.
But my mother worked eighteen-hour days,
creeping in late so my father wouldn't wake
when she came home, couldn't watch her tears
turn into the ink of tired poems.
And so I learned how to burn the lasagna
when I was just twelve years old,
and how to hold it all in
when no one came to the table
because strong women don't explode.
They eat their food cold
and pray for things to go back to normal
at the end of every half hour.
06/21/2005 Posted on 06/21/2005
Copyright © 2024 Malika Bierstein
| Member Comments on this Poem |
| Posted by Paul Marino on 06/21/05 at 08:38 PM this was really smooth. a lot of great descriptions. |
| Posted by Rula Shin on 06/21/05 at 09:06 PM I think the most wonderful aspect of this poem is the title's connection to the poem. You have painted this sad expression with such clarity and come to a powerful realization about human nature and how we are built with a self destructive mechanism, "strong women don’t explode. They eat their food cold and pray for things to go back to normal" - yes, acting strong on the outside while we fall apart on the inside, this is so typical human behavior and so sad. You have really brought forth the struggle in this piece of yours so that the reader can touch it, feel it, taste the pain, it's so relatable...but there is no one person who can become a full time actor, there is always a clock ticking and an explosion pending...we must release the tension in small spurts, and not repress until we fall to our knees broken and useless to ourselves and to anyone else. This piece is strong, the form, the scene, the images of the 'perfect woman' (which you do see as a manifestation of a dream rather than 'truth') in the beginning moving to 'reality' by the end, and as I said before, what a perfect title. Very nicely done. Welcome to Pathetic and I am looking forward to reading more! :-)
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| Posted by Amanda J Cobb on 06/22/05 at 04:48 AM Wonderfully unique and poignant imagery; I especially connected with the last 2 stanzas. Very well-done, I look forward to reading more from you. Welcome to Pathetic! |
| Posted by Felicia Aguilar on 06/22/05 at 08:26 PM Yay! I voted for this and I'm glad you made it into Pathetic! This was such a unique and sad read. |
| Posted by Charles M Harrison on 12/01/07 at 05:27 AM Very sad. There are so many things that can cause childhood to end much to early. In a perfect world the innocese of youth would nerve be stolen away. Welcome to Pathetic. |
| Posted by Dave Fitzgerald on 01/22/09 at 12:44 PM Congratulations on POTD. |
| Posted by Alex Smyth on 01/22/09 at 01:19 PM Excellent writing, you create the scene perfectly. Love the way the title enhances the content. Congratulations on POTD! |
| Posted by Bet Yeldem on 01/22/09 at 02:02 PM I read poem of the day... every day... this is my favorite of all. Tragically beautiful. |
| Posted by Meghan Helmich on 01/22/09 at 04:19 PM just lovely, malika. this was crafted with care, and it shows. congrats on potd. |
| Posted by Anastasia Shows on 01/22/09 at 11:19 PM I love this poem. The pain is palpable...and the pop culture metaphor isn't trite, but rather effective and poignant. Great write! |
| Posted by Laurie Blum on 01/23/09 at 02:02 AM I love it! Excellent work. |
| Posted by Julie Adams on 03/02/11 at 02:16 PM I adore this piece on every level, even those I haven't yet dealt with, bravo! peace, jewels |
| Posted by Kristine Briese on 07/19/11 at 06:28 PM Excellent, and so original. |
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