Page 27 - SOUTHERN VOICES_2020
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Aesthetic
Alden Wiygul
Painting—acrylic
Venus Weeps
Gracie Rowland
The idealization of the female form
Haunts me, day and night, wake and sleep Whispering, taunting, chasing
I scream into the mirror, throw salt over my shoulder My eyes bleed red and my teeth shine yellow
I’ve tried every diet pill, every laxative tea
’Cause I don’t know how to live if I’m not pretty
“A woman’s worth her looks, isn’t she?”
Sex appeal equates to feminine worth
I hate the patriarchy, yet I accept its oppressive ideas Manic pixie dream girl trope is all I’ve ever known All I’ll ever want to be
Barbie in Malibu, Rapunzel in her tower
Venus weeps for me, her tears scalding the earth While Mars laughs at the ignorant folly
An addict of self-approval, I’ll sell my soul or body Stabbing a dirty needle of perceived happiness
Into my pale and sickly skin
Becoming my own ghost
Funky
Sophia Toner
Is Entropy an Illusion?
Linda Arnoldus
Drawing—colored pencil
Sculpture—paint, pipe cleaner, Sharpie
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