Two Poems From Karen

I wrote the following short poem in Biology class when I was 17. I hated the class and rarely paid attention. On this particular occasion, I had just had a fight with my mother about using up too much shampoo. This was the 60's and I washed my hair every morning and combed it straight as a board. I couldn't understand why she didn't think it was more important than the few pennies it cost her for shampoo. Having survived two teenagers myself now, I can certainly understand why she didn't want me to use up a whole bottle of shampoo in one week. I was heavily influenced by Ferlinghetti's poetry especially one about Jesus Christ was Hot, so they stretched him, and admired the style of having poetry all over the page.





Untitled:

I withdraw
into my hair
to avoid your
rasping
grasping
spastic
voice



The second poem was also written in Biology class. There was something about all those Latin words which I had difficulty with. This poem was about putting on makeup. I despised how my mother wore red lipstick while I was so sophisticated with white lipstick and blacked eyes.

Everyday

I create a face

both inner and outer

and conceal who I really am


Like you


By: Karen Ballinger