Pastries in Glass Cages (spoken word)

SoundCloud link to the poem.

Each and every single one of us
is a pastry.
Pastries lined up in neat rows
to be examined by the customers
in coffee shops
behind dirty glass windows
that distort our delicate frosting into
dirt-cheap desserts disgusting
the tongue of society.
Society chews away our confidence
and spits us back out against the glass display cages,
displayed in front of their mouths,
cornered by their growls,
crushed between their teeth.
Their sweet tooth tainted with cavities,
holes empty,
void of self-esteem.
They stuff their sadness up with our
melted tears of icing.
Icing spiced with salt and sugar,
angry,
bitter,
crying away the agony that society craves.
Rain against our glass cage,
window pelted with
our frosted tears of pain
only magnifying our imperfections.
Imperfections measured with
measuring tape around our waists
to see if we are too light
or too heavy for the cashier to weigh.
Numbers on the scale determine how much we are worth,
how much they are willing to pay.
Pay for
each and every single one of us,
pastries lined up in neat rows
behind our glass cage.

1 2