Would I ever learn beauty is in the eye of the beholder?


Discovering Beauty, A Saga

I remember it was summer
though barely past the winter
and in a California apartment
I was a twenty-four year old renter

Newly married to a flyboy
I was still trying to understand
How a guy with his good looks
could put that ring upon my hand

He had the looks that made girls swoon
He was blonde, blue-eyed and tan
He shoulders wide and chest hard
His physique said "I'm a man"

Then there was I, so much less
in female form so flawed
lips too thin, eyes plain brown
and a nose too full and broad

But that one day when I arose
and looked into the mirror
I saw a face looking back at me
never smoother and never clearer

No ugly bumps all red and sore
no pores or blackheads showing
Not a zit or remnant of
seen coming or going

My long hair hung in sun washed waves
way down about my waist
Not one strand succombed to frizz
and it stayed where it was placed

I noticed in my puzzlement
that my belly lay quite flat
and my body trimmed very lean
was tanned gold like a tabby cat

I had discovered a while back
how to minimize my nose
with make up and best profile
to strike a flattering pose

With lively bountiful bosoms
yet to take a fall,
I had a small chance, they would detract from the fact
that I had Noassatol

All the right things came together
on one particular day
in Sacramento, California
east of San Francisco Bay

My beautiful new husband
was the favorite Mr. Cool
of all the lovely ladies
at the apartment complex pool

They lay in their bikinis
perfumed with coconut and lemon
and sipped their wine coolers
like Hollywood's A-list women

They had the confidence
the cheek and the power
to flirt with anyone
while I could only cower

Little Miss Mousy
was all I'd ever been
lacking any confidence
to attract any handsome men

But here I was married
to this great looking guy
and all the women ogled him
whenever he walked by

I knew they were wondering
why he chose me
and I thought that some of them
my try to pull him free

Every day I worried
I had no way to fight
These girls were all beauties
bonafide delights

They talked to me all the time
but I knew they were just fishing
tring to find the key to Paul
while they kept me dishing

They thought I was a fool
because I was so plain
But they'd be found lacking
were we to measure brains

They flirted with Paul openly
in front of me with gall
Then spoke to me so phoney sweet
Right in front of Paul

They would splash and dunk him in the pool
I would turn away so sad
Then came the day of perfection
the only one I ever had

That day after I realized
I'd never looked this way
I dug beneath the t-shirts
for my outfit of the day

I remember when I bought it
I scandalized myself
no decent girl would wear it
I put it back upon the shelf

But somehow when I checked out
there it was in my cart
So I paid the clerk for it
like a cheap seductive tart

I pulled it on and cut the tags
too late to turn back now
I had a war to fight today
And I was prepared somehow

I looked into the mirror
And was totally in awe
My eyes could not process
everything they saw

The little red bikini
transformed my body so
that where there need be more
thats where more seemed to grow

Suddenly my backside
so boringly flat
seemed to perk up nicely
with some meat where I sat

Perhaps it was merely shadows
that worked magic for me
And created illusions
to see what there wasn't to see

When I arrived at poolside
A sudden silence I heard
then a small gasp
and a mouselike questioning word

Next I felt the eyes
looking straight at me
No one was moving
They had all stopped to see

At that perfect time
the sun began its western decent
Pink, white and blue stretched clouds
made shadows lengthened and bent

The one that fell over me
made me tall and fine featured of face
And the pink and blue of the sun
through the cloud, gave my countenance grace

My new husband moved out of the water
like a slave in a zombie's trance
Straight to me he walked
To no one did he glance

The red of that bikini made
my tanned body more enticing
And the look in Paul's eyes revealed
I was devil's food with raspberry icing

I had to stand in my perfect pose
to keep the lighting just right
So my face was shadowed to shrink my nose
and my legs looked long in the moonlight

All the giggling girls called out
Oh Paulee, come back in
Its so much fun in the dark you know
We can play Marco Polo again

But Paulee just looked at me
with a big smile across his face
"Hi, Babe you sure look great
Hey girls, give her some space"

Then into the pool he drug me
completely spoiling my plan
The one time it all came together
so I looked perfect for my man

I was totally devistated
What was I going to do?
My hair, my nose, the shadows the light
He had completely spoiled the view!

But he didn't seem to notice
In fact he said straight out
Gosh you look fantastic!
Now that's what I'm talking about!

But just like other days
I dropped my head down
My hair wet, the lighting ruined
I was sure I looked like a clown

What's going on now Honey?
You stood up there like a queen.
Don't disappear again
Shine, sparkle and gleam!

"Everything's ruined", I said
"the lighting, the shadows, my hair.
"It will never happen again.
Miracles are very rare."

"The miracle I saw", he said
"Was the confidence you carried.
I've prayed that I would see it
since the day we got married."

"I've tried everyday, my sweet
to show you how I feel.
And how beautiful you are to me
and that my love for you is real."

It still was hard to believe his words
though his sincerity I trusted
So I checked the cackling hens out
and saw they were disgusted

But they quickly smiled and nodded
One said, "Girl, now you look great!
That little suit you're wearing,
why that's Sugar Daddy bait!"

I felt my cheeks flush red
as red as my bikini
Then I noticed that her top
was as itsy as mine was teeny

The difference though was obvious
hers was lets say, unfulfilled
while my top gave its best shot
to accommodate my build

My hubby ducked me under water
my limbs went all akimbo
I felt I must look like a ditz
til he addressed the bimbo

"Isn't she the cutest thing?
You know she doesn't have a clue,
that she's got smoldering sexual power
She's not obvious like the rest of you."

I couldn't believe my swimmer's ears.
Had my husband just said that?
'Neath the dripping hair covering my face
I smiled like the Cheshire Cat

Some giggled, some gasped
they were too dumb to know just what to do
But Paul and I enjoyed ourselves
When I finally got a clue.













Poetry by Phyllis J. Rhodes
Read 779 times
star mini Editors' choice
Written on 2009-11-08 at 02:09

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beauty is not just physical as you know, it is in writing that this beauty is told with magic creativity.
2009-11-10


Editorial Team The PoetBay support member heart!
This text has been chosen to be featured on the front page of PoetBay. Thank you for posting it on our poetry web site.
2009-11-09


shells
Whew! what an epic tale Phyllis, just had to keep going right to the end, your confidence shone through eventually, I was hooked and smiling.
2009-11-09


NicholasG
Cinderella for 20th century California! You have brought a piece of Aesop up to date.
I am sure there is no handicap able to eclipse beauty.
Nick
2009-11-08


melanie sue
Oh, Phyllis, this was a delight to read and a little bird tells me its all true. :)
2009-11-08


Zoya Zaidi
A very absorbing saga dear Phyllus!
Only you could pull it off so well!
Reminds me of hollywood movies of sixties and seventies...
With Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers or some such holy wood queen, she was a red head wasn't she? (I mean Ginger Rogers, I watched some of those Turner Classics, they showed once upon a time on TV)
Love,
Zoya
2009-11-08


ANUPAM
A nice and long fairytale story.Thoroughly enjoyed reading it
2009-11-08