Superstar

A Poem

Photo by João Rabelo: https://www.pexels.com/photo/low-angle-shot-of-a-girl-in-a-city-against-the-sun-10290611/

the runaway on the runway —
“oh, such a pretty little thing,”
they say between gritted teeth
and painted smiles
across vicious lips.

they said she wouldn’t go places
just because she didn’t have
the right look
at the right time
in a lucky era.

but what did they know
of trends
and baubles
and beautiful lies
written across the stars?

they spread the rumors,
got the whole town talking,
till her reputation was an inferno
of blame burning every which way
until she stood alone on a cliff’s edge.

but what wouldn’t break her
would make her stronger —
or that was the story
they liked to sell
for the masses.

the runway for the runaway —
oh, yes, she would chart a path
of sparkling silver stars,
all the better for pretty lies
spewed from a big machine.