[2021] Burning Woman

 
Fire Marshall knocks  
for her to open up  
windows and doors  
and finally clear the air  
once and for all of this  
pseudo personna  
taking up residence  
 
It's self absorbed  
image obsessed  
incessantly smoking  
before the mirrors  
in attempts to redirect  
attention away from  
what it insists are  
physical shortcomings  
 
Her constant conflation of  
appearance and desirability  
has rendered her a real  
e'state of conflagration  
 
She compensates by putting out  
notions of the neighbors  
being less attractive  
 
( a little arson seemingly  
goes a long way towards  
leveling playing fields )  
 
but such a trial by fire  
going on for so many years now  
has consumed the judge'mentality  
  
and what answers the door  
bearing little resemblance  
to the attractive person  
she could have been  
is an illusion
something artificial  
akin to a Stepford Wife