Slaves To Beauty

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This last Friday, Terry Gross interviewed singer/song writer/poet Leonard Cohen. That interview inspired the following poem.

Slaves To Beauty

We’re all slaves to beauty,
Yet most of us are left out.
I find myself looking through pretty windows of brightly lit glass,
At the pretty people I long to be,
Or at least make sweaty love to.
Then I laugh to myself at the absurdity,
Of such unfulfilled desires and aspirations.
Futilely,
Almost masochistically,
I continue to chain myself to dreams of beauty,
As if such dreams were food rather than poison.
I read beauty’s scriptures as I wait for last night’s supper to pass through me,
And obediently plan my purchases accordingly,
Convinced the right pair of pants will propel me toward beauty’s promise.