ADVERTISER AS ABUSER
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 The Book of Possibilities |
Advertiser woke up one day – beside the lover whose smooth skin turned him on
Shifting in discomfort – on waking she will complain of bloating, back ache, blemished skin
She needs those tampons – boom, he thought – monthly purchase
I corner the tampon trade – boom, ka ching
I can walk in the footsteps of Edward Berneys
Who watched cigarette sales peak and start to slip among men – boom
He says
Call 'em “Freedom Sticks”
Stage a “spontaneous march” with gorgeous young models
Dressed in the latest of latest styles – boom
A few press clippings later
And women can't live unashamedly without 'em
Boom – the tampons she needs
Boom – the fags she don't
Advertiser walked away from the lover – her soft skin become an opportunity
Not an aphrodisiac
He wants her on her knees, begging him to validate her
Willing to pay anything for the privilege of his approval
He thinks, here is the miracle, her is the miracle
I can sell her anything if I first take her apart
Piece by fragile human piece
Tell her she needs help which I can supply
Tell her she is falling apart and only I have the paste
The sutures, the pumice, the paint
Make her flog herself – punish her body as painfully
As any medieval monk in a hairshirt
Self-perpetuating self-flagellation
If only I can begin the process
Erode fully the bedrock of her smug self-satisfaction
“I am woman, let me sleep, I am woman, here me sound off”
No more need for overt battles of the sexes
This new war is fought before she suits up for work
And if I can make her believe that her very natural state
Is a rotten and a rotting thing – a body in entropy
A prison of decaying flesh – she will pay and pay
And thank me for taking her for all she's worth
Advertiser needed no lover – a string of ever-changing brides-for-sale
Satisfied that itch
His pockets are full – his belly is full
He never thinks of his lover – but then
If he did –
All he'd think would be, “She must be so so old by now”
A POEM by Jen Frankel. Use the search engine athe top to learn more about Frankel. OR CLICK HERE and read her BIO!
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