Feminine (Where I Take A Villenelle and Not Only Break It, But Crush It Underfoot)

what does it mean
to be feminine
is the value only that which is seen

stay lean
to be strong is to be masculine
be a sweet girl, not mean

cover your body in cream
accept that you are the progenitor of sin
bow down and don't cause a scene

you are not a being
you're property that belongs to him
to build up or to demean

and these lies are routine
embroidered into our daily out and in
unrecognized even when they are seen

so I call bullshit, and watch it steam
to be feminine is to be human
it is kind and it is mean
and it all that you can see and all that is unseen.

heidi
written: 1/22/15 for dVerse Meeting The Bar

Brian has challenged us to take a form and break it. I took the Villanelle, and, like all poetry that uses some sort of meter, I threw that shit out of the window. Then I severely slanted the rhyme. And I have no idea if I even like this poem, or if it conveys what I want it to convey. The more I have to think about the poem I am writing, the more clunky it always feels to me.  But, what the hey! It's my first submission to dVerse this year! Woohoo! Stop by and check out the other responses.

 

Masochism

Say it
again slowly
because if you're going
to break my heart make it last a
lifetime.

heidi
1/13/15

I wrote this cinquain for my writing group. Victoria suggested this prompt, which was appropriate for me because the writing part of me is not having it. And, as always, I can always depend upon a cinquain or a lune to respond to a prompt when it feels like I can't write anything. Thanks, Victoria!

A Collum Lune

Because I haven't
posted a poem lately, here's
a Collum Lune.

heidi
written 1/2/15

Happy New Year, y'all!