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The Beast’s Bluff
Fresh Paint –
A Glossing Least to Hide the Beast
Fresh paint and roses hide the woes –
Of angry words and sudden blows.
A shiny coating fairly glows,
Relationships reduced to foes.
He wipes the tub out with her towel,
Then hangs it up with sneering scowl,
Concealed attack,
Behind her back,
He harbors here a heart most foul.
In all arenas, work and sport,
He paints himself a good report.
Behind the shades,
The wonder fades,
As others’ goals he aims to thwart.
A teen bears bruises on her neck.
A middle schooler hits the deck.
Call 9 – 1 – 1 –
No time to run.
The perfect picture is a wreck.
How many homes hide secrets thus,
Pretending for the rest of us?
We motor past,
Ideals miscast,
Concealing hurts – no fuss, no muss.
Fresh paint and roses hide the woes –
Of angry words and sudden blows.
A shiny coating fairly glows,
Relationships reduced to foes.
c2009 by Linda Ann Nickerson
Posted in response to these prompts:
Meme Express (Title Pick: “Can’t Buy Me Love,”
Poetic Asides (April P.A.D. Challenge: Pick an Animal)
Read Write Poem (NaPoWriMo – “fresh paint” or “makeup”)
Phew, like 'no fuss no muss'
ReplyDeleteWow...powerful words.
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me of a story here in Ohio--a guy just got convicted of murdering his wife in the bathtub. The bit in your poem about "wipes the tub out with her towel" is quite chilling.
Well done.
Don't we just use 'fresh paint and roses' to 'hide the woes'. I hope your teens don't give you too hard a time. Mine are older but they still give me anxieties.
ReplyDeletePowerful poem. I have linked to it.
ReplyDeleteI attended a DART Conference on this topic.
Nicely done.
Nice little nod to Shakespeare in there, too....
ReplyDelete