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.