The Porcelain Doll
The Porcelain Doll
The porcelain doll,
With her porcelain heart,
crafted with precision, but rich with envy
stiffened arms and sealed lips,
have made her timid,
She tries to close her eyes,
but forgets they can never be shut,
she speaks words,
but forgets they can never be said,
dust gathers on the ends of her hair,
and her rosy lips begin to tremble,
She waits to be cared for,
But the world is blind to her uncanny beauty,
made to be beautifully imperfect
her elegance haunts, as her glass skin glistens,
The tremble turns into a shake,
and the doll falls into the hands of a savior,
a woman who shared the same wanting as the doll,
to be loved, to be remembered, to be cared for,
to be seen,
They were intertwined by destiny, but set free by desire.
Shweta Allani
This poem was inspired by a painting I had seen, which depicted a porcelain doll. Many of the poems I write are inspired by real life objects, events, and items. In this poem, I wanted to encapsulate the idea that the porcelain doll is representative of an individual who finds that breaking through internal barriers can lead to positive moments of discovery.
2 pairs of feet, 1 pair of shoes
It was so impractical now that I think about it.
We were seven and each other's world. I mean, we were next door neighbors and the same age, how could we not be best friends? We practically lived at each other's houses alternating meals like clockwork. Chocolate chip pancakes at my house for breakfast, wagon wheel pasta at her house for lunch, and back at my house for pizza and milkshakes. We preferred my living room room because we were allowed to draw on the sliding glass doors and tape art on the walls, but she had a swimming pool.
We would go back-and-forth between 1049 and 1026 throughout the day. So, we had a process: two pairs of feet, one pair of shoes. I'd take the left flipflop and she'd take the right. Arms interlocked, we hopped across the street. Laughing and screaming as we pushed and pulled, never touching the pavement and never letting go.
Our single shoes made a perfect pair.
Cathryn Murray
I was inspired to write this piece by a meaningful childhood memory. I aimed to capture how a pure-hearted act, like sharing a pair of shoes to move between our homes, symbolized a deeper connection built on trust and friendship. I used a playful, simple tone to reflect the genuinity of our bond. I hope this story serves as a reminder that the purest friendships are formed through shared joy and simplicity.