The Beautiful Man is the Ugly Man

A poem about the truth of celebrities.

With a face made of gold,

he smiles down at the crowd

grinning a pearly white smile

 

And as the crowd cheers,

he feels compelled

to move through the sea of cameras

and flex

 

And as he flexes, flashes are taken

 

“Snap”

 

“Snap”

 

Muscles are huge,

his chest is more muscle

than skin

 

Every thundering footstep

is important

A god walking into the room

 

But when he goes home,

he hangs up the mask,

the pearly white teeth,

his muscles

 

To cry

uncontrollably

into the gloom

Reviews

[Sheila Kline]

Your observations of "a celebrity" seem to me to be most appropriate, as I also observe how it is often a world of "put on" that we see - the image must be perfect to please the fans, to impress the media, and so on, and on, but in the end they are really just an ordinary person with a soul just like every man and can most certainly feel lonely, experience pain, and can cry into the gloom.
I like the phrase "he smiles down at the crowd" - just like he was God, or an angelic being looking down on them. This really brings home the persona he has created.

[Andy Ruffett]

Thanks. I'm glad you liked the poem. I completely understand the stress celebrities go with the media, why Cuba Gooding Jr. snapped, why another might smash a camera, etc. Think any of them would do anything to not be a celebrity for a day.

[Monster ^.^]

such clear write! I didn't stumble to think of what the heck was happening! It was a clear and vivid image of how most celebrities live--in a lie that is only known deep in their hearts. The mask, i tell you, is a great metaphor :)

[Andy Ruffett]

Thanks.

[NotSoAnonymous]

I think the last thing celebrities and the more well established members of the media need is our sympathy. This makes me feel sympathy though,just because of the way you you wrote this. In a way that I think relates to a lot of people (even though i am one person). Like i have no shame in saying that i want attention or even publicity in the way that famous people have still there is somewhat of a curse that goes with it. Good poem made me think :3

[Andy Ruffett]

Thanks.