Sunday, September 4, 2011

Sweet Nothing Secrets



Some women with birdlike appetites crawl to the salad bar
fill their plates with hordes of green and red blooms
their pallid chins quivering as they pass the meat rack
and dessert tray, sweet nothings they never know.
But like a goof you hitch yourself to every tantalizing
presentation studded with grease and fat
drizzled in oodles of butter, thickened cream sauce,
then tackle those edibles like a football player
after the Super Bowl, only to excuse yourself
to the ladies room for long stretches of time.
Who do you think you're fooling?


@laurie kolp

Prompt inspiration: The Sunday Whirl

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20 comments:

Lolamouse said...

So sad. When I was in college, they had bathrooms designated for the bulimics.

brenda w said...

Gross. Sad. You've painted a portrait exposing the bulimic. Well done. The food imagery is exquisite, Laurie. Pictures popped in my mind as I read.

Laurie Kolp said...

Thanks.

I can't believe they had special bathrooms in college for bulimics. That's so sad.

Nanka said...

This was fun Laurie to read the contrast in appetites :D The second half was hilarious till the 'after super Bowl party':))

Marianne said...

A story of contrasts. I was surprised by your sad ending. Well done!

Anonymous said...

So well done - you got me with the ending, for sure! Oh so sad this horrible condition and you painted an exquisite rendering.

Mary said...

Oh, this brought back memories of my old roommate (before I had even known the word 'bulemic'). Days she would eat fairly normally. No one would guess. But after work when she came home she gorged and purged, and one time I found her on the bathroom floor white as a sheet. I got her somehow to emergency.... Bulemia is scary stuff. Your poem captured it!

Laurie Kolp said...

I hope she was able to get help, Mary. You were an angel to her.

Magical Mystical Teacher said...

What a contrast between the birdlike and those who tackle edibles!

My Wordle 20

flaubert said...

This poem hit very close to home for me. I have a family member who is bulimic and it is a real concern for us. Poignant.

Pamela

Mike Patrick said...

A difficult subject well handled. You are not afraid to tackle the though ones.

jabblog said...

Very telling depiction of the sad, lonely life of a bulimic.

Susannah said...

Apart from being a chillingly accurate depiction of eating disorders, both the 'salad bar' pickers and the 'bulimic'.

This was a really excellent piece of writing and a great use of the wordle words.

Very well done Laurie.

kaykuala said...

Poor thing! Give them a break!

Very well written. The wordle words blended well

Hank

Traci B said...

Powerful poem painting a sad portrait of two extremes; it's a sin that our culture deifies an unrealistic image of beauty that compels women to such measures. There but for the grace of God...

Anonymous said...

A great poem Laurie.
Your descriptions had me smiling to begin with, then you hit us at the end with that very powerfully sad message.
A great read.

Daydreamertoo said...

wow... dark and deep and straight to the point with no messing.
My heart aches for those women who do this. It is in some way about control or, lack of the same as anorexia. You really nailed it with this. I can't believe they actually had bathrooms designated for bullimics, how sad.

nan said...

You took us to a sad place. Powerful use of the words, Laurie!

Anonymous said...

a tour with twists and turns, well done.


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Cathy said...

Terrible sad and with a sharp edge of truth.