Fragile

Fragile

She seems so fragile.
I imgaine you with her, touching her gently,
as she lets her slender fingers linger on your skin -
those fingers with the long polished nails
she must spend hours on each week to maintain so perfectly.
Her face, her body and her hair are smooth - so smooth and beautiful.
How delicate her features.
She’s a china doll with a tiny waist that would fit so easily in a man’s embrace -
that type of girl I suppose appears in most men’s fantasies.

I see her at my workplace, sitting so demurely,
giggling softly when she takes your phone calls.
You call her often, and I know why.
She demands so much attention
from every man I’ve seen her get involved with.
I’ve also seen her eyes well up with tears
when the boss not too severely reprimands her.
Yes, she’s the epitome of fragility.

I, on the other hand, am not a tiny helpless china doll.
I am average sized, cheerful and robust,
and I cry too, just not so easily.
My nails are not long, but otherwise, I take care of myself.
I’m feminine though not a china doll.
Delicate is not a word that would enter someone’s mind to describe me
except perhaps in the way I use my voice, for I am tactful.
Personable, practical, sincere and steady are other words
I hope would spring to someone’s mind if they should describe me.

I overhear my lovely workmate’s conversations,
for her desk is right near mine.
Needy is another word that very much describes her.
It seems to be the major attribute of this helpless-acting clinging vine.
Often I daydream of you and me together, and in that dream,
it’s I whom you caress so softly as I let my fingers linger on your skin.
Then passion overtakes us, and I become something wild,
not in the least bit fragile. I’m a woman, and my desires are strong.

I always say hello the times you come to see your china doll.
I also smile at you. Can you read the want inside my eyes?
Lately I’ve been noticing the days you come to pick her up,
how more quickly your smiling eyes are meeting mine. . . .
I bide my time.

Written Oct. 17, 2017 for John Hamilton's "Fragile" Poetry Contest

Copyright © | Year Posted 2017



Post Comments

Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.

Please Login to post a comment

Date: 10/25/2017 4:52:00 PM
Wonderfully-penned, Andrea - Best wishes and congratulations on your well-deserved win, my friend! :-)
Login to Reply
Date: 10/22/2017 9:19:00 AM
Belated congratulations on a riveting winner, Andrea:)
Login to Reply
Date: 10/19/2017 6:59:00 AM
Wowsa! What a fabulously original poem :) a great read! Congratulations dear xomo!
Login to Reply
Date: 10/18/2017 11:41:00 PM
Oh wow! I love it...your style is always so perfect and your imagination is so fertile. Just great, Andrea. And, I too love the ending.
Login to Reply
Date: 10/18/2017 5:35:00 PM
2 for 1, here goes: (I had actually read it earlier) Brilliantly expressed. Men tend to succumb to empty shells. And cunning women are worse!
Login to Reply
Date: 10/18/2017 4:05:00 PM
Excellent Andrea, congrats :)
Login to Reply
Date: 10/18/2017 4:00:00 PM
Your smiling eyes may soon dethrone the china doll...:-)....best wishes in the contest Andrea...
Login to Reply
May Avatar
Joseph May
Date: 10/18/2017 6:26:00 PM
I see you won in the contest..Congrats
Date: 10/18/2017 2:58:00 PM
Well written, although not a big fan of prose poetry this one stuck with me. It struck me as though coming from an experienced pen, and voila it is you! No surprise here, congrats on a great win!
Login to Reply
Date: 10/18/2017 6:20:00 AM
An interesting take on the contest Andrea.. Well written..
Login to Reply
Date: 10/18/2017 5:11:00 AM
I really love the last few lines, "Lately I've been noticing the days you come to pick her up,/how more quickly your smiling eyes are meeting mine..../I bide my time," such a brilliant write my friend! You have mastered the art of storytelling within a poem, an almost narrative style of writing! I thought you have shown the fragility of the China Doll quite well Andrea! I loved your delightful piece, Great Work!!
Login to Reply
Date: 10/18/2017 1:14:00 AM
Excellent write, Andrea, and love the Praying Mantis finish. Viv x
Login to Reply
Date: 10/17/2017 6:01:00 PM
A riveting write Andrea. Told in an intimate tone that captivated my attention. Good luck in the contest!
Login to Reply
Date: 10/17/2017 4:50:00 PM
wow! you had me mesmerized from the very first line, andrea! of course, i'm rooting for the (fictional, i'm assuming) "i" of the poem and the ending gives me hope that she'll win out...
Login to Reply
Date: 10/17/2017 4:38:00 PM
A wonderfully weaved story poem Andrea
Login to Reply
Date: 10/17/2017 4:16:00 PM
Lovely story in this poem--I see the turn in the end--well written Andrea--best for a win!
Login to Reply
Date: 10/17/2017 3:20:00 PM
Fragile?, I think not. Quite a table turner Andrea, great write, best wishes in the contest...
Login to Reply
Get a Premium Membership
Get more exposure for your poetry and more features with a Premium Membership.
Book: Radiant Verses: A Journey Through Inspiring Poetry

Member Area

My Admin
Profile and Settings
Edit My Poems
Edit My Quotes
Edit My Short Stories
Edit My Articles
My Comments Inboxes
My Comments Outboxes
Soup Mail
Poetry Contests
Contest Results/Status
Followers
Poems of Poets I Follow
Friend Builder

Soup Social

Poetry Forum
New/Upcoming Features
The Wall
Soup Facebook Page
Who is Online
Link to Us

Member Poems

Poems - Top 100 New
Poems - Top 100 All-Time
Poems - Best
Poems - by Topic
Poems - New (All)
Poems - New (PM)
Poems - New by Poet
Poems - Read
Poems - Unread

Member Poets

Poets - Best New
Poets - New
Poets - Top 100 Most Poems
Poets - Top 100 Most Poems Recent
Poets - Top 100 Community
Poets - Top 100 Contest

Famous Poems

Famous Poems - African American
Famous Poems - Best
Famous Poems - Classical
Famous Poems - English
Famous Poems - Haiku
Famous Poems - Love
Famous Poems - Short
Famous Poems - Top 100

Famous Poets

Famous Poets - Living
Famous Poets - Most Popular
Famous Poets - Top 100
Famous Poets - Best
Famous Poets - Women
Famous Poets - African American
Famous Poets - Beat
Famous Poets - Cinquain
Famous Poets - Classical
Famous Poets - English
Famous Poets - Haiku
Famous Poets - Hindi
Famous Poets - Jewish
Famous Poets - Love
Famous Poets - Metaphysical
Famous Poets - Modern
Famous Poets - Punjabi
Famous Poets - Romantic
Famous Poets - Spanish
Famous Poets - Suicidal
Famous Poets - Urdu
Famous Poets - War

Poetry Resources

Anagrams
Bible
Book Store
Character Counter
Cliché Finder
Poetry Clichés
Common Words
Copyright Information
Grammar
Grammar Checker
Homonym
Homophones
How to Write a Poem
Lyrics
Love Poem Generator
New Poetic Forms
Plagiarism Checker
Poetics
Poetry Art
Publishing
Random Word Generator
Spell Checker
Store
What is Good Poetry?
Word Counter