plastic

you apply blush
and powder,
eyeliner,
lipstick.
you won’t leave the house
without red lips.
you turn your hair
into a helmet of perfection.
you dress
and undress
and dress again
until your outfit is perfect.
you adorn your neck
with perfume
and beads.
you personify perfection.
but as you enter the world,
you compare
and pick
and decide you’re too fat
and too blonde
and ugly.
forgotten
abused
neglected.
in need of a new pair of shoes.
and so, it starts again -
the rebuilding of something
that doesn't matter anyway.
because, if you don’t let people past your plastic exterior,
you'll never have to deal
with your heart.

image credit: industrial dolls by c. durocher