Silent Accessory

I like such spareness. Allows spaces tween words---more like worlds than words, in fact!---for ease of digestion. I am shocked both by the youngish person made skeletal who crosses a narrow city street with a terrible difficulty ... and by the candidate for Biggest Loser. The latter examples I find in abundance waiting for the doctor at my routine three-month appointment with an endocrinologist who specializes in treating(?) diabetics. In the one case a slight breeze mounts a hurricane; in the other, the furniture fails. I do think this is my favorite of yours. Thanx, Chuck

That was a very good presentation and the accessory is more prevalent that most people think. Well done. Respectfully, Rett: "Life is like a beach. Salty, gritty, somewhat fishy and at other times, downright crabby!" Rett 2008.

Very excellent poem. Very. Kudos. ~A

It truly is a sickness, and so many beautiful women are inflicted. It really must be a low self-esteem thing. I dunno... Enjoyed the write, Mark

You never cease to amaze me, your poems are all so different, yet so good. I like the simplicity of this poem, best discribed she never took no for an answer and brought you to the edge and back. The finale, the silent accessory. Wow. Loved it. Patty

cheers, Jess

Smiles:) Barbara good write on anorexia

I like your constant variety. This poem is sad, and like Mark, I could never understand all those eating disorders either. Eating is an instinct, and a major part of survival - why fight it? I partially blame models - from Twiggy to current, it almost seems like emaciation is cool. The way models are treated is disgusting. If they don't "make weight" they either have to diet, or find some other alternative to drop the weight. I despise some ads where they call the models "full sized" - it's not full-sized, it's bloody healthy! Sorry for the rant. Nice job - I like when poems can spark such emotions. ~Jess ---------------------------------------------------- "Just 'cause you have one, doesn't mean you need to be one....."

and in so few words ! Bravo! Mark

This is good. anorexia, probably more of it than we realize

you are one of my favorite writers here and I too find your writing very versatile in content and this one is excellently written... a sad subject for some because it is real for them.. touching another one through words you've done your job well Richard

My x-husband suffered/s from issues of weight--the other spectrum. His weight over our years together/separated went from nearly-doctor-recommended to morbidly obese. Yet he maintained he was never *bothered* by it. Of course, until his health deteriorated to the point where he now has had to deal with all the underlying issues. He can no longer work, (his other addiction) after 8 years of one surgery after another. (He was a chef/restauranteer). He admits to *stuffing* his feelings with either food/alcohol (a binge drinker, he couldn't drink without getting totally drunk--although he was his most *adorable* self then--he was always subject to bouts of rage otherwise -- there was either no reaction or explosions--no middle way, so to speak). Now again, after open heart etc he has implemented good eating habits and is exercising again. Hopefully for life. And by the way, his obesity did not preclude him from having an affair with an almost-as-young-as-my-daughter-woman when I no longer found him palatable. 30 odd years ago, the doctor told him to eat whatever I ate. And I looked almost anorexic. Esp after my children were born even as I ate everything. My metabolism was high then. My weight, starting about 15 years ago, too has fluctuated and I'm trying to take off the 20 or so-extra pounds I put on as a caregiver over the last two winters. Too much fast foods, no running/walking/ and sitting around in my companion-mode or computer chair. However, the up side is I have *curves*. ;-) The other side of anorexia nervosa...morbid obesity. Sorry if this is too much information. And thanks for your poem once again. ~Anna

Your writing does indeed improve with every poem. Excellent work! I see that many people here have trouble understanding eating disorders, especially anorexia and bulemia. Unfortunately, I suffered from both in high school and college. It is a difficult thing to explain, so I won't go into it here. At my worst, I weighed 89 pounds at 18 years old. A good friend, young, 26, was recently diagnosed with anorexia. As I try to help her, all of the memories come flooding back. You've done an excellent job with this one, Janice. ~ Ronda

Strange world we live in. When I was a Realtor about 4 years ago, an associate's beautiful daughter was battling anorexia. And I was thinking about all the prisoners in the German concentration camps, in the Gulags, those dying of hunger all over the world, and remembering my mom, though she had cancer of the stomach/later esophagus she died of *starvation*. Strange sad world. May all beings be free of suffering. ~Anna

If only we could cure this way of life, this thing nurtured by the media in all its forms. Headlines, of it's bad if you are a celeb or it's a shame, if you have money and no mention to the many that are influenced by the daily parade of mutilated bodies and minds through bad media. Your Piece is good to see If only the young ones were shown the real human and the person to work for and the things to achieve Yours Ian.T (Yenti)

Sparse with eloquence, ending starkly. The poem hits its mark! Always, Cat

Hello, Clever,brittle observations...I really thought the structure of your poem (narrow/slim) almost visually supported your theme of the anorexic shape. Using the word anorexic on it's own to end...inspired. I'm going to check out more of your work. Ellie.