I rail against
this society where
so many women
feel they have to
hide, every day
their naturalness
under a false-tan
then re-apply a blush
to define the shape
of a perfect face
paint on lines
around their eyes
apply spiders’ legs lashes
and on their lips
a slash
of garish colour
a society which makes
so many women
feel they have to
colour their hair
to cover the grey
with streaks of blond
spend hours with a dryer
add bouffant brittleness
with cans of spray.
Watch any late night
chat shows to see the
contrast between
middle-aged men
relaxed in their rugged looks,
stubble with laughter lines
and middle-aged women
taut with the effort
of looking good
Sarah J Bryson writes poems and short stories. She takes photos nearly every day and works as a hospice nurse, part-time.
Her work has been placed in competitions and published in various forms: in anthologies, in journals and on line.
Hooray for relaxed and rugged, stubble and laughter-lines!
I agree, that women are are compelled by the beauty industry to spend a lot of
time and money to fight ageing.
Missed point error, barleybooks.