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torn raw
bellies & guts out
spread eagle, unfurling for all to see-
No, not the naked ex-teen princess
in wrecking ball video, humping/singing, whose father
said it wouldn't matter if she wore jeans & flannel shirt,
the song's A SmaSh- SmaSh
the SpInES, edgeS
& cover SheetS until lines
d i l u t e
& water drOwN the artist-
a coMModity, scAndAl, nEwSrEel-
the song's A SmaSh- SmaSh
My teen girl saw it (xXhits in xXhrs) so I tell her- it matters that you
wear clothes decent/clean, hold one's tongue IN/choose care-
fully, simply be
bouquet, canvas, vase or sculpture-
fire-carved, tears-tempered &
made with bare
hands
smiles... she was causing quite the uproar with that song and what she did...bit of a teenage rebellion me thinks but certainly not the thing a mother wants her daughter to do...some girls look in jeans and flannel more sexy than she in her underwear - just saying..smiles... cool play with caps grace - a bit of a different voice for you - but i liked
ReplyDeleteGrace what an incredibly rich piece of work this is. I love your second stanza--such a vivid image, really punches forward.>KB
ReplyDeleteThe pop stars and these famous personalities definitely have some influence on us all, in some way or the other.
ReplyDeleteWell-put and well-written.
I guess it all depends on what we find sensible for ourselves.
good for you telling her...they need to hear that so bombarded by the opposite message...i see so many kids at school whose parents just dont care...and it becomes a monster that can not be controlled...we are the moral compass...
ReplyDeleteAh.. I have not seen that video... can understand that it happens .. and have happened before... and carefulness is a virtue. And being bombarded all the time is not easy..
ReplyDeletehear, hear, really dig your message, and agree 200% with Brian; raised 3 daughters, and kept the piercing and tats out of their lives & our home until they fled the nest; now there is some tats, some piercing, but all three settled into good marriages, careers, & motherhood; luck out; nice job on the prompt, Grace.
ReplyDeleteshe has definitely made the news this week - bless her heart - as we say in the south :) and good loving advice - K
ReplyDeleteGreat piece Grace. To have your rebellion go world wide at such an age - this media spotlight burns our kids a bit too much sometimes. We gotta find the balance, and the kids need to see us finding it with them. I'm pretty glad I'm old enough that my rebellions were before social media! Thanks for joining in.
ReplyDeleteWOW, Grace, this is the best MS reaction I have seen. You took a sow's ear and made a silk purse of it.
ReplyDeleteGreat write. I didn't see it but heard about it. Your then having to temper what was done to make a learning opportunity is quite poignant especially with how you chose to express yourself.
ReplyDeleteThis is (very) cleverly done Grace.
ReplyDeleteBeing an old thing I had to Google to understand it - but now do. I feel so sad, so helpless with regards to our young people for art is oft offered as gratuitous, immediate and bears little resemblance to creativity, the creativity that takes humans forward.
Googled the book too and will probably invest. What better than art born of art!
Anna :o]
It is so important for your voice to counter the cultural mess that teens navigate these days. I know that the lack of involvement of positive role models exacerbated my eating disorder. A beautiful gift you are giving her, she is very fortunate to have you.
ReplyDeleteGrace, you are a wise mother. At least you are talking with your daughter about Miley; and at least she is talking with you. Not easy being the mother of a teen these years with so much that should be behind closed doors right out there for all to see and often done distastefully at that (IMHO).
ReplyDeleteDidn't see, don't want to see these images of Miley. The sad thing is she has had so much influence on young women. Nicely expressed, Grace. How do we get that message to all young people.
ReplyDeleteJust stopping in to read. I didn't write anything today.
ReplyDeleteI like what you wrote. Hope your daughter listens. Sometimes the pull of the media and others, is so strong, it's hard to convince our young ones of their misguided ways. I like the way you wrote this. It sounds very strong.
Hopefully it sinks in indeed, way to be
ReplyDeleteIt is all about sculpting, using the tools at hand to transform the book as it being written. We always hear from dad but hardly ever sMAsh
ReplyDelete...you fulfill well your job as a mother Grace...no more no less... now, the greatest challenge is how your li'l seed will fulfill its job to a bloomest flower against this dark-human-world of ours... smiles...
ReplyDeleteThis sounds corny but I always said 'bloom where your planted'.
ReplyDeleteI do not know how teens make all the good decisions,
with all the tween ads targeting them over and over.
We all need to learn to be who we really are not want some image that other people want us to be. That take maturity and strength of character I think. Sounds like your daughter is lucky you talk to her about these things. Very nice work here.
ReplyDeletea cautionary tale of Disney princesses: she was fed to the public as Hannah Montana, and metamorphed into her own twisted butterfly. The last two lines hold the piece together so well, especially given the title Naked A... S .S
ReplyDeleteHope you have a good week, Grace ~ M
And you get a special mention for noticing that A..S..S ~ Thanks M ~
DeleteMother to mother, I wasn't poetic at all. Takes my oldest to tell it (to her teen sister). "Mama didn't allow me to dress like a hootchie and you certainly aren't going to either." And that's all she wrote. Seriously, I'm all for sexy and self-acceptance. The problem is young girls got it twisted. They wouldn't know sexy and grown if it walked up and smacked them upside the head.
ReplyDeleteYep, this is full of layers upon layers. Excellent stuff!
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that my husband and I were talking about it this morning and then I read your poem. Love that first stanza. Glad you are able to talk to your daughter. So many crazy mixed up messages out there, no wonder kids are confused!
ReplyDeleteGrace, it hurts me to know you suffer from MS~ I've had 45 years of Muscular Dystrophy and have various friends with MS... your writing carries a scaffoldings of understanding & the heaviness of this condition ~ Your tact and sweet -jam manner of explaining things to your daughter ~ Exceptional poetry ! Exceptional woman, writer and faithful friend ~ Faithfully Debbie
ReplyDeleteHi Debbie,
DeleteI think there is a misunderstanding, I don't have MS ~ Thank you for your lovely words nevertheless ~ I think one commentator was referring to Miley, the ex Disney princess ~
Grace,
ReplyDeleteAn interesting write and the songs a SmaSh but, I wonder at what cost it's hard to comprehend what one will do in this modern world.
I'm so glad my daughters (my sons, too, for that matter) grew up in a different time. The "role models" today - and they are so everywhere now - are so in-your-face with their blatant sexuality that they tend to strip the humanity away. I loved this, Grace.
ReplyDeletevery well written.. and a wonderful message.. that i hope my daughter will get too as she grows older..:)
ReplyDeleteThe last stanza is my favorite.
ReplyDeleteMy sentiments exactly, Grace! Well done, bravo!!
ReplyDeleteHave a beautiful week and as always, thank you!
I like the physicalness of this poem.
ReplyDelete