1960s

by Lioness   Mar 7, 2012


I wonder...
should the walls
of your humble
bathroom be painted
in black or white?

Perhaps one
day in Jackson,
Mississippi, the
walls could be
tainted with both.

To symbolise
a united idea
that I, Aibileen Clark -
maid,

is treated
as one of you.

I will reverie when
the time will come,
but for now it
remains a mystery...

that you would
allow me to cook and clean
in your home, look after
your children yet
still believe that I
am infected with
disease.

Thus, our bathrooms
remain as segregated
as our lives.

I foolishly bite my tongue
at the inane comments
and the outdated
mind-set that your
kind seems to have
on my race.

I refrain from
exposing what
you would feel
as controversial
and blatant lies,
to the one person
who I know will
believe me.

Be wary,
for my lips
will not be
sealed for much
longer.

Shortly,
with their eyes
they will see me
as human,
even though you refuse
to see me other than,

The Help

***Inspired by the movie The Help***

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Latest Comments

  • 12 years ago

    by Jenna Bella Oldridge

    I watched the movie the help a few weeks back and I loved it so much. I thought it was a really good movie and I think your poem really captured parts of the film.

    On one hand I feel the poem is a little too long but on the other hand in order to say what you had to you needed a bit of length.

    I liked how you put each stanza together and I loved how you titled the poem with a date.

    Over all a fantastic piece.

    5/5

  • 12 years ago

    by nouriguess

    Your poetry is different. I'm not used to read such a style and I like that. The title caught my eye, I love titles that contain numbers, it feels like it has some kind of significant imports or mysterious meaning to it. You began your poem with the 'I wonder' standard sentence that every poem about life would begin with and that's what made me not really interested, that might be the only thing I disliked. Bathroom usually refers to an intimate property, and 'humble' made me think of pureness rather than indigence or imperfection. Black has loooots of meanings, so does white but black and white together might be embodying routine or old.

    'I will reverie when
    the time will come,
    but for now it
    remains a mystery...'

    That was so poetic, truly, I could get what you meant by your poem through this stanza. I LOVE the word 'reverie' I can spell it till tomorrow, haha. I love it more when it's put as a verb more than a noun. Daydreaming always is connected with time and I so love that you mentioned that. I just have one minor suggestion, if you wouldn't mind, I'd say 'when time comes' instead of 'when [the] time [will] come'. It's your decision, I just wanted to point it out. I liked how you used 'segregated' when talking about bathrooms (intimacy). How impressive! And oh, can you believe that I've never read the word 'blatant' in a poem?

    I loved this poem, creative and catchy, the ending two stanzas made it all for me. I didn't watch the movie qactually (perhaps I did but not remembering what the hell it is, haha) but your poem made sense to me, however. It was good to read your poetry!

  • 12 years ago

    by Ronel McCarthy

    Beautiful write to highlight prejudice/discrimination in society. X

  • 12 years ago

    by Decayed

    I've seen the movie 1 month ago, and as I told you it was awesome!!! haha the best part was: EAT MY SHIT!

    darn it,,, one minute I became sad, and the other I used to laugh.

    You have beautifully showcased Aibileen's torture.. love this.

  • 12 years ago

    by TJ Arizona Eagle

    I haven't seen the movie but this poem moved me. Each line was a credit to your ability to write..Excellent

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