deepundergroundpoetry.com
pause the anime for a minute
you’re not so different now
from that feathery light
wide-eyed little Cindy-Lou Who
with pineapple hair and angel-shaped lips
your belly laugh was the most perfect sound I’d ever heard
could bring joy to a rock with the honesty in it and I’d do
so many embarrassing things
just to watch it bling across your cheeks
now, you can touch the door jamb
without even standing on tippy-toes
and it’s amusing, the way you obsess over your hair
your newfound stock in vegetarianism
[but just for an experiment]
celebrating when you kill it in chemistry
when you’re happy with yourself,
pokey jabs and jokes in the dreary greys
and for all your Eeyore mantras and spaghetti arm claims
you’re stronger than you let on
then you ask me if you’re pretty sometimes
and I want to scream because how the fuck did I let you
ever
get to where you have to ask
and how far did I fail
for you to feel the need for affection
is weakness
and how can you possibly hide
that scrunchy, angel-lipped cheeser
those wide aqua blues behind your hair
truly believing you’re not robbing us all
of the sort of Cindy-Lou Who delight
that is you
Published 4th May 2022
| Edited 24th May 2022
Author's Note
originally published Jan 2021
All writing remains the property of the author. Don't use it for any purpose without their permission.
likes 5
reading list entries 1
comments 8
reads 508
Commenting Preference:
The author encourages honest critique.
4th May 2022 9:42pm
I'm known to write poetry for and too my kids. I think my better examples of what I've written fit into this category. So seeing you do the same made for a moment of yes! I'm not alone. We do this ;) it's what we do.
I loved the Dr Seuss metaphor and imagery that starts the first stanza and it brought an awkward smile immediately. That tritagonist theory is really clever. It brings a mischievous naughty side with the adventurous to a rather delicate innocence in that lovely begining. I loved how it ties into the title so effortlessly.
the second stanza just oozes maternal pride in growth. "tippy toes" was a masterful reference. It had the danger of the cliche' but in your unique, motherly way, you land it there being anything but. It holds the line on its own bravely.
I'm in awe of the third stanza here. It sits strongly on the page and celebrates the experiments and self testing us humans all go through, as we grow through life. But the closing of that stanza hits hard. That support system statement "you’re stronger than you let on" there is no more solid a way to say "I love you" in this context.
Then the final stanza drops the cold hard parenting vulnerability like s bomb. That melancholy that we swim in of "did I allow / teach / provide / do that" ?
The strength of the message speaks mountains to the strength of the pen who wrote it. It drops like a dissected heart on the page. It breathes introspection as it races off to close back at our perfect original image.
I could hear a mom breathe "and then I pulled myself back together and we are going to be fine!" Because yes! We all go through that self depreciation thought process and yes none of us want our children to go through it ever. But they do. A perfectly penned moment of "and then I found out you are only human too and it hit like a wet cloth on the forhead".
Thank you for writing this. Thank you for sharing it. Thank you for allowing me to disect it to pieces. It's truly special.
Blue Skies to Cindy-Lou Who
-x-
I loved the Dr Seuss metaphor and imagery that starts the first stanza and it brought an awkward smile immediately. That tritagonist theory is really clever. It brings a mischievous naughty side with the adventurous to a rather delicate innocence in that lovely begining. I loved how it ties into the title so effortlessly.
the second stanza just oozes maternal pride in growth. "tippy toes" was a masterful reference. It had the danger of the cliche' but in your unique, motherly way, you land it there being anything but. It holds the line on its own bravely.
I'm in awe of the third stanza here. It sits strongly on the page and celebrates the experiments and self testing us humans all go through, as we grow through life. But the closing of that stanza hits hard. That support system statement "you’re stronger than you let on" there is no more solid a way to say "I love you" in this context.
Then the final stanza drops the cold hard parenting vulnerability like s bomb. That melancholy that we swim in of "did I allow / teach / provide / do that" ?
The strength of the message speaks mountains to the strength of the pen who wrote it. It drops like a dissected heart on the page. It breathes introspection as it races off to close back at our perfect original image.
I could hear a mom breathe "and then I pulled myself back together and we are going to be fine!" Because yes! We all go through that self depreciation thought process and yes none of us want our children to go through it ever. But they do. A perfectly penned moment of "and then I found out you are only human too and it hit like a wet cloth on the forhead".
Thank you for writing this. Thank you for sharing it. Thank you for allowing me to disect it to pieces. It's truly special.
Blue Skies to Cindy-Lou Who
-x-
6th May 2022 6:59pm
You are always so thorough and generous with your comments, thank you for taking the time to go through all the details I hoped would be noticed, and I'm happy you could relate on that same level. The relationships with these kids have a wealth of material... irresistible, innit?
Her face lit up reading it, anyway :)
Thank you, as always, for your support, Al
Blue skies back atchya
Her face lit up reading it, anyway :)
Thank you, as always, for your support, Al
Blue skies back atchya
5th May 2022 10:01am
I love this, it's endearing. A mothers concern never goes, and we try everything to prevent them being influenced by the ideals of society and 'how one should look, be' when all we could wish for is for them to find their own individual self and hold on tight.
My youngest son is 21, and I don't think he will ever leave home. He had his first piercing a few weeks ago and his first tattoo today. He always sits with me and discusses what he wants and asks my opinion, but I encourage him to make his own choices too.
This is a beautiful poem for your daughter, like wild flowers, just being who they are. and it really gives the reader a sense of her.
My son insists I watch anime with him sometimes 🤣
Thank you for sharing Jessta 🌸
My youngest son is 21, and I don't think he will ever leave home. He had his first piercing a few weeks ago and his first tattoo today. He always sits with me and discusses what he wants and asks my opinion, but I encourage him to make his own choices too.
This is a beautiful poem for your daughter, like wild flowers, just being who they are. and it really gives the reader a sense of her.
My son insists I watch anime with him sometimes 🤣
Thank you for sharing Jessta 🌸
6th May 2022 7:37pm
Aw man, the first piercings and tattoos.. I'm waiting for that tattoo appointment so I have another excuse to get another one, haha
Absolutely, want them to be their whole selves, and it can be pretty difficult to see them struggle with their place in the world. But must be done to get to where they need to be.
Thanks for stopping in, and for leaving your thoughts... and I hope that tat turned out okay!
Absolutely, want them to be their whole selves, and it can be pretty difficult to see them struggle with their place in the world. But must be done to get to where they need to be.
Thanks for stopping in, and for leaving your thoughts... and I hope that tat turned out okay!
6th May 2022 7:58pm
It was a big one for his first tat, on his forearm, but looks cool. It's a bunch of runes, One big one and all the others around it, from some game he plays. :)
5th May 2022 10:48am
Anonymous
- Edited 19th Feb 2023 9:45pm
9th May 2022 7:30pm
<< post removed >>
Anonymous
28th May 2022 9:33am
My daughter is about to turn 16, and is a huge anime fan (I swear she didn’t get the addiction from me, I’m way too grown up for that shit………😅)
She got 2 nose rings, a lip piercing and just recently the back of her neck done,
And yeah it’s a different form of parenting as a father to a mother but your writing just hit home.
“then you ask me if you’re pretty sometimes
and I want to scream because how the fuck did I let you
ever
get to where you have to ask
and how far did I fail
for you to feel the need for affection
is weakness”
This is as hard hitting as it gets for a parent wondering why they can’t just see themselves from your eyes so they know how amazing they are.
Thanks for the read
She got 2 nose rings, a lip piercing and just recently the back of her neck done,
And yeah it’s a different form of parenting as a father to a mother but your writing just hit home.
“then you ask me if you’re pretty sometimes
and I want to scream because how the fuck did I let you
ever
get to where you have to ask
and how far did I fail
for you to feel the need for affection
is weakness”
This is as hard hitting as it gets for a parent wondering why they can’t just see themselves from your eyes so they know how amazing they are.
Thanks for the read
