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Pledge MAG
November 23, 2008
From this point forward
I will not stand
to be unhappy
any longer.
I will not stand
to be broken down,
broken apart,
broken-hearted.
From this point forward
my success does not depend
on my waistline
and my strength does not depend
on my weakness.
My biggest fear is not
the nutrition label.
From this point forward
I will not worry those
who love me.
I will not look at those
with hip bones
and rib cages
and be jealous.
I will not be afraid
to eat the birthday cake
you made me.
I will not measure
every morsel as if
any more would make
it poison.
From this point forward
food is not my enemy
and Ana is not my friend.
Size zero is not beautiful
and 90 pounds is not ideal.
I am no longer
enslaved by my scale
and it is not an awful day
when I weigh enough
to donate blood.
From this point forward
the only things coming
out of my mouth will be
words.
I will no longer be called
Disgraceful,
Disgusting,
Distasteful.
From this point forward
I am
Inspired,
Indestructable,
Independent.
© Betty L., Fremont, CA
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JOIN THE DISCUSSION
This article has 519 comments.
Poetry should be grounded in the concrete and you successfully did that but I feel like you give to much away. You shouldn't just state how you feel, that's another thing that should be concrete (through metaphor, personification). This poem would be better as a memoir.
VioletsandVoice said...
on Feb. 7 2010 at 8:59 am
i liked it very much
Fair enough. You are more than entitled to your opinion, but I would suggest that you do your own research on the definitions of poetry, slam poetry, and free verse and compare them for yourself, since your arguments seem to be lacking depth. For, an opinion that ignores the facts lacks fair judgment and is therefore ignorant.
Yes, but even free verse isn't without any structure; as T. S. Eliot pointed out, "no verse is free for the man [/woman] who wants to do a good job." Even the great poet Robert Frost remarked that the writing of free verse was like playing tennis w/o a net. See, free verse is used to classify poems that simply don't fit under the other main, and strictly formatted, categories of poetry, but free verse must still follow the basic rules of poetry, otherwise it is, as I said before, just prose. As far as slam poetry goes, it is a poor bastardization of poetry that is more closely related to rap battles and soap-boxing than to a poetic performance, and it has only gained popularity due its edginess and avant garde nature.
loveibanez BRONZE said...
on Jan. 16 2010 at 11:25 pm
Simply beautiful and inspiring, way to go. Keep it up
softlylara BRONZE said...
on Jan. 16 2010 at 10:30 pm
This poem is truly remarkable. In a society so obsessed with being skinny a majority of teens are "haunted by their scales".
This poem stands for self confidence and acceptance of who you are and what you look like.
Absolutely love it !
This poem stands for self confidence and acceptance of who you are and what you look like.
Absolutely love it !
dancingdaisies GOLD said...
on Jan. 16 2010 at 9:24 pm
I weigh 90 pounds, but my body's disproportional. I have thunder thighs, stick ankels, chuby cheeks, my collar bone sticks out, a stomach that juts out like a penninsula , and the list goes on & on. but, shamefully, being called annorexic is a comliment. it happens all the time.
Pantophobia SILVER said...
on Jan. 16 2010 at 7:37 pm
it is wonderful and beautiful
wombatz-rule GOLD said...
on Jan. 16 2010 at 5:51 pm
This is beautiful. Every single day of my life since seventh grade, I have struggled with how I feel about myself and my body. To realize that someone has made it through the other side...that has given me strength. I am going to copy this poem down and post it somewhere so that I will be able to see it everyday and find strength. This is beautiful.
I'm sorry to have offended you!
I agree that beauty comes in all sizes; I know many beautiful young women who, like yourself, are naturally thin.
I did not mean to say that thin is ugly; I meant that in MY case, size zero is NOT beautiful, because it is not what I naturally am.
I agree that beauty comes in all sizes; I know many beautiful young women who, like yourself, are naturally thin.
I did not mean to say that thin is ugly; I meant that in MY case, size zero is NOT beautiful, because it is not what I naturally am.
Thanks for the feedback, but I'll have to disagree with you! Not all poetry follows strict format, thus rendering it "open" or "free verse."
This is actually a short slam poetry piece. I don't know if you're familiar with slam poetry (performance poetry), but there are many different styles that conform/do not conform to specific formats.
Perhaps if you heard my poem performed aloud, you'd change your mind!
This is actually a short slam poetry piece. I don't know if you're familiar with slam poetry (performance poetry), but there are many different styles that conform/do not conform to specific formats.
Perhaps if you heard my poem performed aloud, you'd change your mind!
hamsa_prophet SILVER said...
on Jan. 16 2010 at 5:07 pm
Well, I was going to give a bunch of feedback on how beautiful and powerful you piece was, but it looks like about a dozen and a half people beat me to the punch. So, let me just say: bravo :)
AndThisIsReal PLATINUM said...
on Jan. 16 2010 at 4:08 pm
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!You know what!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-I wish that you wouldn't say size zero is not beautiful, because I am naturally petite and am indeed a size zero with a very fast metabolism, and yes I am beautiful and I don't feel bad about admitting it...I too like myself the way I am!
-I agree a forced size zero however is not beautiful and a size zero is not the only form beauty comes in.
-That said...I think this is a well written and extremely inspiring piece of writing.
-I wish that you wouldn't say size zero is not beautiful, because I am naturally petite and am indeed a size zero with a very fast metabolism, and yes I am beautiful and I don't feel bad about admitting it...I too like myself the way I am!
-I agree a forced size zero however is not beautiful and a size zero is not the only form beauty comes in.
-That said...I think this is a well written and extremely inspiring piece of writing.
2 articles 2 photos 15 comments
Favorite Quote:
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.
it gives support to me and i'm sure many others :)
please keep it writing!!!