paint us red: exclusive poetry
Paint Us Red is a female poetry collection with nineteen contributing authors. It is a celebration of womanhood in its entirety.
As promised, here are 2 of 8 poems I've published within the anthology. Originally I thought to write an explanation of each poem, but I decided none are necessary. Let me know what you think of these poems below and if there's anything more you'd like to know.
poem no. 1 // untitled // publish in Paint Us Red
Men always want to hear what I have to say
paving my way to the podium
silently anticipating the words to spill
from my lips, like sweet honey onto
their laps, until
they learn that it is not them I want, no
that is when they begin to strip me
of my dignity and peace
when I become the bitch in their stories
the whore they curse under their breath
ripping the voice from my throat
revoking my right to ever speak
that is when my sanity comes to question
when my truth is twisted into lies
because their needs are God-given rights
in which they’re entitled to at
the expense of anyone who dares to disagree
men always want to hear what I have to say
until they don’t
Elizabeth Todoroska // @tipsyloveletters
Poem no. 2 // untitled // published in Paint Us Red
I have spent far too many years ripping myself
at the seams in order to try and create
something you would find pretty,
as if pretty was something needed to be achieved,
as if pretty wasn’t something I already was
I would bleed from my knees, dipping my
fingers in the crimson red paint, smearing it
across my lips and across my cheeks,
grinding my bones on rocks
to be a size you find appealing
but life is not meant to be lived this way
and I am tired of living my life for you
of twisting and turning my body for you,
and so,
I am beginning to stitch myself back together
needle and thread weave through split skin as I
lean down and kiss it better, I will love you,
I will.
Elizabeth Todoroska // @tipsyloveletters
How would you define womanhood? Tell me in the comments. Read my q &a here.
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