Tag: Jeannie E. Roberts

twin 2 by Jeannie E. Roberts

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twin 2

— inspired by Scott Ferry’s poem “twin”

messy hair / disheveled appearance / i was the child
quick to enter the day in her big brother’s plaid shirt /
visibly / i was a tomboy / a girl who expressed
herself as herself / nothing more / nor less / i was
the anomaly who manifested the union of twoness /
the duality of spirit / i didn’t notice difference /
played with dolls and trucks / race cars / too / drew
flowers and insects / mermaids and worms / made
mud pies and went fishing with Dad / i recall
my budding femininity as an embarrassment /
wore tight t-shirts beneath my dresses to flatten
the bloom / i remember waiting for the school bus /
how the boys ridiculed my figure / i longed to fit in
everywhere / with everyone / never saw myself
as anything but myself / i was naïve to sexuality /
unaffected by attraction / i just wanted to express
myself as myself / to learn about the world / observe
its wondrous beauty / when you’re groomed to be
attractive you become something else / a decorated
double / a contrived form of self / i was credulous
to the cues / the fleshly signals of intent / regardless /
my current was consistent / never wavered /
remained straight / oblivious to a colleague /
a woman half my age / unmoved by her advances /
her ardent aims weren’t mine / when you’re
pushed to be pretty / nothing more / nor less /
you’re stigmatized / infantilized / objectified /
at best / messy hair / disheveled appearance /
i was the child quick to enter the day in her big
brother’s plaid shirt / perhaps / i wished to be him /
i’m the union of two spirits / where fem meets masculine

*

Jeannie E. Roberts has authored eight books, six poetry collections and two illustrated children’s books. Her most recent collection is titled The Ethereal Effect – A Collection of Villanelles (Kelsay Books, 2022). She serves as a poetry editor for the online literary magazine Halfway Down the Stairs.

To Blend, or Not to Blend, That Is the Question by Jeannie E. Roberts

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To Blend, or Not to Blend, That Is the Question

—vignettes from the blended family diaries

Stools

You got the worst one
Your son got the second worst
She saved the chairs
for real family

*

Back Burner

For decades
you warmed on low heat
a slow burn
reduced to char

*

Wallflowers

As if a garden
they gazed at one another
fawned and gushed
In vigilant silence
we stood motionless
stems to the wall
mere weeds

*

The Walk Around

Gatherings—
Weddings
Holidays
Reunions—
meant avoidance
They walked around the oddities
the ones with a different last name

*

The Double Standard

DNA opens hearts
No babies
no acceptance
Sadness sits in the heart
of the one who can’t deliver

*

Cuisinart

a dependable brand of blender
You tried every setting
It got stuck on ICE CRUSH

*

Jeannie E. Roberts has authored eight books, six poetry collections and two illustrated children’s books. Her most recent collection is titled The Ethereal Effect – A Collection of Villanelles (Kelsay Books, 2022). She serves as a poetry editor for the online literary magazine Halfway Down the Stairs.