I started by collecting a varity of words to help spark off themes and create ideas for writing. To do this I posted the images Laurie Penny’s “C” Word and Alice Wellinger’s Private Garden on social media, and asked people what they thought of them. I gained access to a range of views and opinions within minutes. The results were helpful and I noticed some patterns of words emerging. The words Natural and Fertility came up frequently which gave me the idea to write about themes like pregnancy and female body hair growth. For example females struggle to shave their legs as they would do as a normal practice when pregnant due to their large bump.
Working from this I wrote a poem called: Conceive.
Round like mountains the woodland is booming.
Spring is in full swing, no need for grooming.
Mother Nature bring me what needs to be brought.
Although we don’t not all have the opportunity to be taught.
If I had thought about protection, conservation more like.
People might not just see me as the village bike.
The grass between my toes and the freshness in my smile,
I suppose it’s hard to relax with feeling your back is going to crack.
Why react? There’s no point in stressing about that.
You cannot contain or change the pain you feel.
One day there will be a time when my body begins to heal.
Then you will start to count your rings like a tree,
Because you will be free from inside of me.
But instead of a forest of family watching over your life,
You have the strongest tree who has suffered though strife.
The circle of life in front of my eyes,
As a frog sits by the pond mouth wide catching flies.
Conceive is about a single pregnant woman standing outside in her garden looking at the beautiful natural landscapes. She talks of her journey of becoming pregnant and now as she stands alone a strong single mother to be. I used the comparison of the natural landscape and her physical body. The poem also includes the idea of freedom which was another word that peoples used on my social media post.
A few more words of which I think are useful are Feminism, Empowering, Strength, Equality, Liberation, and Power. These are all positive attitudes towards the pictures female genitalia. However I wanted to look at some of the negative connotations women’s sexuality holds. Other words like Vulnerability and Revealing were mentioned, which led me to think of the relationship women have with their sexuality.
I wrote a piece called Portrayal based on how young girls aged between 11-15 are sexualised without their understanding or consent.
Portrayal:
Vanilla icing covered in sprinkles please,
I want one now begging on my knees.
Unicorn princess with hair like bubble gum,
Squishy and soft like my plump, peachy bum.
Giggling sweetly with a gentle touch,
Buying a bag and purse or clutch.
Sucking on candy/sweets, lollypops.
Posing for selfies outside coffee shops.
Cute puppies and kittens are totally the best,
Gazing in the mirror at my prepubescent breast.
Another trip to Disneyland? My god I am blessed.
A video online of me singing ‘Be our guest’.
Upload a selfie in my Justin Bieber vest.
I got a new nail varnish in bright hot pink,
Guy walks past, turns back with a wink.
Sequins on my top in the shape of a heart,
Homework needs doing I’m making a flowchart.
Fluffy pink slippers with a pony on the front,
Hanging for pictures from last year’s egg Easter hunt.
Doodling hearts over my school book,
The man in the shop gave me a second look.
Rainbow cupcake pic’s fill my Instagram page,
I dream one day I’ll on singing on stage.
Glittery pink lip-gloss makes me look so cute,
Man drives past and gives his horn a toot.
I write in a pen that smells like cherries,
Cookie dough is my favourite Ben & Jerrys.
My Nanna brought me a new dolphin bed set,
I get an inbox asking if we’ve ever met yet.
Glittery body spray is on my birthday present list,
Boy asked me at school how many guys I’ve kissed.
I lay on my inflatable pizza in the outside the pool,
My clip on earrings are a big shiny jewel.
I love all my teddies and cuddly toys,
I heard a whistle from a large group of boys.
But to think, of myself as anything other than a queen,
Is obscene. Because one day my name will be on a holly wood screen. My dreams are as crazy as they’ve ever been.
But I’ve got time because I’m only twelve.
The poem uses the innocent thoughts of a young girl and twists them into being sexualised. A large contribution to this is the porn industry’s sexualisation of teens and school girls. Whereas in reality to be a ‘sexy school girl’ said person is underage which makes this fetish a form of paedophilia.
I want to use this poem in my solo piece as I feel it has a message that I want to portray and that has significant value to me as a young woman. A lot of the references in the poem are related to my person life of which I would like to bring into my solo show more.
I will focus now of the theme of the sexualisation of young girls and how they are viewed as sexual being without their knowledge or understanding. I will look at staging my poetry and how I will perform this as a solo show.
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