Shawn L. Bird

Once pain and loneliness was devoured

in hamburgers, milkshakes, and pasta.

But she wanted love, and she imagined

love came to the lithe more easily.

So she huffed and puffed and starved and carved

batted her eyes and bagged a boy.

But life means sacrifice and imperfection

and lack of twenty four hour adoration were devoured

in grilled cheese sandwiches, chocolate and pies,

until her perfect image was compromised by

becoming oversized.  Never her fault of course,

bilious and blaming others for her bitterness

She huffed and puffed and starved and carved

and when the right size was realized, and devised an escape,

climbed into bed after bed until one was willing to buy

more permanent access: a perfect lie.

Objective achieved once more bilious gases expand

The desperate, devouring girl pretends to have fun,

a reality show with an audience that’s blind and dumb.

Whatever the  social media illusion that feeds our delusion,

eventually we must face the conclusion of our own prostitution.

What do we sell ourselves for?