Affirmation

A poem

Pic credit Burberry (post now removed)

Affirmation


The glorification of women's self-harm and mutilation

A state sanctioned experimentation on the female population

Slicing away at our power of creation

A handbag sale for every exploitation


We've seen it all before

The heroin chic, the 'nothing tastes as good as skinny feels', the thinspiration

Girl, it would be better if there were less of you

Purge your curves and get validation


A new explanation for each generation

But always in relation to the male observation

Marry well, fit the dress, don't be too much.

Take up less space. Smile more. Watch your reputation.


Menstruation, gestation, lactation,

A leaky old mamma is no-one’s aspiration

A nip, a tuck, a slice; it’s quite the affirmation

And cash flows rich from every laceration.


The scars are neat and clean, a simple operation

A fresh solution for an age-old exploitation

Our flesh is your domain, at any cost

Your profits rise as parts of us are lost.