Sex Sells.

I sometimes feel like we’re paraded around 

And unlike peacocks, it is much to our dismay 

Constantly reminded our beauty is our flesh

 

On your knees 

Show your tits 

A little leg won’t hurt 

You continue to assault us with your lens

 

You Soil our minds

Distorting our reflections 

My skin is now foreign

 

I tug pull and point 

At these so-called errors 

Like a teacher scolding a child 

This is wrong, so is that, so is this. 

Until I’m correct 

I keep fixing and fixing and fixing and fixing 

dealing in dark allies that promise me,

Your body 

Until I’m no more than bone, skin,

silicone 

 

I feel like we’re paraded around 

I have a friend 

I have a friend who hides

She says the male gaze 

is hot oil

 

So, shields herself 

Drowning in hoodies 

shirts and jeans 

hoping it does not happen again 

Twice

Thrice 

She’s reminded she’s a woman 

On the streets 

At work, at home 

 

I think we’re paraded around

My other friend

this is war to her 

She screams fight 

claim our bodies!

Like a King leading his army

 

She faces the oppressors 

and the oppressed

One yells whore

so does the other 

Her sword is double-edged 

 

I know we’re paraded around, 

cause they’ve got you too 

Soiling your minds 

Distorting your reflections

of the women before you 

And even yourselves 

Now you scold and prod your bodies 

 

Can’t you see, it’s cancerous. 

Sex sells

At what cost?