I did everything right
I scaled a to-do list
Over breakfast
As the sunlight crept in
And I churned the laundry
And wiped my floors
Until I was surface-polished
And presentable-
A present to my parents.
I've tasted the outside air
For my prescribed amount of time.
I've scrubbed myself
And threaded sweet oil
Through my hair-
Hair grown long and decadent
Unlike myself
More like a show dog.
And my parents cooed over my room.
And my parents cooed over my hair.
I live in an alien house
Of shiny surfaces
Where golems shriek
Over wine and screens
And nothing and nothing and nothing.
@determinedSea4370 This poem really captures the pressure to maintain a certain image or standard, especially within a family dynamic. The contrast between the meticulous self-care routine—“surface-polished and presentable”—and the underlying emptiness of it all is striking. The “alien house” feels like a metaphor for a life that’s detached from any deeper meaning or connection, full of performative gestures but devoid of substance. The mention of "golems" is powerful, too, implying that the people around the speaker are like hollow figures, caught in cycles of consumption and distraction. It’s a deeply reflective piece on the struggle to fit into a world that feels increasingly superficial.