Ariel Bissett | Thigh Gaps And Other Traps | Poem by Ariel Bissett @ArielBissett | Uploaded October 2016 | Updated October 2024, 1 day ago.
A poem by yours truly. A massive thank you to Gregory White for helping me film this and for making this way prettier than I could have on my own!
a few years ago there was a person in a studio somewhere
who shouted out
in a flash of inspiration
that women shouldn’t have meat between their thighs
that gaps were the new thing!
so i had to take a pair of scissors and cut a hole there
and have to check
(on every reflective surface that i pass)
that i haven’t accidentally filled it up
with midnight ice-cream
or lunch time coke
did you know that i can play piano?
im actually pretty good
where i come from
when a girl turns 13
she is given the gift of a permanent choke hold around her ribcage
it was designed to keep her still, i think
i remember being excited for mine
until I turned 20
and realized i hadn’t breathed properly in 7 years
and that the best part of my day was taking it off
so i freed myself of it
but fell into another trap
(this one is invisible)
this one makes you nervous when it's cold
when two (apparently) blinding lights appear
keeping you hunched over
in case someone thinks you’re trying to make them see
so you roll yourself inwards instead
and sit safely inside your ribcage
i’m also really good at swimming
i did lifeguard training and everything
one time i saved my brother from nearly drowning
have you ever woken up to realize that
your body had been allocating some of your life
to build another one
but it’d missed the memo that
you
don’t
want
to
so it spilled it out onto the bed
or into your jeans
my mattress is full of these reminders
that my body is constantly searching and not finding
scratching me from the inside, trying to crawl out of my gut
taking my energy so that I have to sit in one place and think about it
laughing that i live in a world where i’m not supposed to shout about how
pads are uncomfortable
i’m always worried that i’ve bled through my clothing
my mood might be different but it’s still me so take me seriously
why do i have to pay money for these things
so much money for these things
i had to download an app to remember when he next one would be
tampons are kind of terrifying
changing pads in a public toilet is terrifying
i had the realization that the packaging is going to kill the planet
which is ironic cause i’m making the world worse for any baby
i studied really hard for four years and have a degree
and now i’m going to make use it to make things that i love
i want to read more
and eat more chocolate
i want to cuddle more
sleep in more
i want to write a book
and make more art
and try pottery (because everyone wants to try pottery)
and i want to do it all in a room where the walls are size 6’s and size 16’s and i don’t even notice
because as long as it’s keeping me safe, it doesn’t matter
☞ Twitter: twitter.com/ArielBissett
☞ Goodreads: goodreads.com/ArielBissett
☞ Instagram: instagram.com/arielbissett
☞ Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/ArielBissett
☞ Get a free audiobook! audibletrial.com/ArielBissett
☞ Want a book? Use my affiliate link! bookdepository.com/?a_aid=ArielBissett
Music by: CJ Bissett (http://cjbissett.bandcamp.com)
Thumbnails by: Greg White (http://gregory-white.co.uk)
A poem by yours truly. A massive thank you to Gregory White for helping me film this and for making this way prettier than I could have on my own!
a few years ago there was a person in a studio somewhere
who shouted out
in a flash of inspiration
that women shouldn’t have meat between their thighs
that gaps were the new thing!
so i had to take a pair of scissors and cut a hole there
and have to check
(on every reflective surface that i pass)
that i haven’t accidentally filled it up
with midnight ice-cream
or lunch time coke
did you know that i can play piano?
im actually pretty good
where i come from
when a girl turns 13
she is given the gift of a permanent choke hold around her ribcage
it was designed to keep her still, i think
i remember being excited for mine
until I turned 20
and realized i hadn’t breathed properly in 7 years
and that the best part of my day was taking it off
so i freed myself of it
but fell into another trap
(this one is invisible)
this one makes you nervous when it's cold
when two (apparently) blinding lights appear
keeping you hunched over
in case someone thinks you’re trying to make them see
so you roll yourself inwards instead
and sit safely inside your ribcage
i’m also really good at swimming
i did lifeguard training and everything
one time i saved my brother from nearly drowning
have you ever woken up to realize that
your body had been allocating some of your life
to build another one
but it’d missed the memo that
you
don’t
want
to
so it spilled it out onto the bed
or into your jeans
my mattress is full of these reminders
that my body is constantly searching and not finding
scratching me from the inside, trying to crawl out of my gut
taking my energy so that I have to sit in one place and think about it
laughing that i live in a world where i’m not supposed to shout about how
pads are uncomfortable
i’m always worried that i’ve bled through my clothing
my mood might be different but it’s still me so take me seriously
why do i have to pay money for these things
so much money for these things
i had to download an app to remember when he next one would be
tampons are kind of terrifying
changing pads in a public toilet is terrifying
i had the realization that the packaging is going to kill the planet
which is ironic cause i’m making the world worse for any baby
i studied really hard for four years and have a degree
and now i’m going to make use it to make things that i love
i want to read more
and eat more chocolate
i want to cuddle more
sleep in more
i want to write a book
and make more art
and try pottery (because everyone wants to try pottery)
and i want to do it all in a room where the walls are size 6’s and size 16’s and i don’t even notice
because as long as it’s keeping me safe, it doesn’t matter
☞ Twitter: twitter.com/ArielBissett
☞ Goodreads: goodreads.com/ArielBissett
☞ Instagram: instagram.com/arielbissett
☞ Support me on Patreon! patreon.com/ArielBissett
☞ Get a free audiobook! audibletrial.com/ArielBissett
☞ Want a book? Use my affiliate link! bookdepository.com/?a_aid=ArielBissett
Music by: CJ Bissett (http://cjbissett.bandcamp.com)
Thumbnails by: Greg White (http://gregory-white.co.uk)
