Poetry Power: “Peaches”

Junior Isabelle Wesner is the next poet to be published in The Olympian. “My English class had just finished a movie called Pleasantville and after we were told to write a page about it for homework. I don’t do homework. Instead the words pleasant and perfect and pristine and pretty rolled around in my head until I couldn’t think of anything more unachievable than words that started with P,” she said.

Peaches

People peer at Peaches pretty pupils

And ponder Peaches’ perfection.

Putting Peaches on a pedestal 

Of pitted promises and

Petty presents.

People peer at Peaches and presume 

“Peaches is polite

Peaches is proper

Peaches is pure”

Plus Peaches’ prosperous pay

Produce people’s perception that

“Peaches parents’ must be positively proud 

Of their pristine, perfect prospect.”

People pushing Peaches’ picture to appear perfect-er,

Peaches puts posed polaroids on platforms; 

Prada, pumps, and pink placed at the pinnacle when

Peaches’ pretty poppy patch is poisoned.

People pick at Peaches’ petals

And ponder Peaches’ perfection.

Peaches puts on pearl pendants

Out performing previous presentations.

People peer at peaches and presume

“Peaches is pretending

Peaches is prosaic

Peaches is practically a prostitute”

Prada and pumps don’t prevent people from peeking.

Kicking Peaches’ pride till

Peaches postulates people’s presumptions 

On Peaches proper price.

Parties are pulling Peaches hair 

People start prying, pinning, and pawing 

Proclaiming “Peaches is pleading for a peck”

“Peaches’ purpose is to please”

Out of pure, petrified pain

Peaches’ heart pauses pumping 

And progresses to a pit.

Peaches’ skin is processed to porcelain

And people peer at nothing but plastic.

People pray for perfect Peaches back,

But Peaches’ perfection produced 

A powerless pawn, played for a princess

Placed precisely in a perilous man’s palm.

Peaches isn’t coming back.