With money
you’ll belong to a gym,
hire a personal trainer
who looks like Hercules on steroids,
who customizes a special plan just for you
yet is easily convinced to let up a bit
because he only wants your money
and you’ll wear the finest workout clothes
that show off just enough skin to tease
as you lift, lunge and curl each day
and you’ll spend more of that money
relaxing in the sauna after a full-body message,
manicure and pedicure, highlights, the works–
perhaps cucumbers on those icy eyes
will hide your misery inside.
*
Shared with the wonderful dVersePoets:OpenLinkNight
First published in the anthology, Backlit and Barbells
you nailed a slice of humanity here, Laurie. great poem. I can almost smell the perfume in the air.
all the goodies but not a lot of peace….only superficial joy will eventually catch up to you…and when it does it wont be pretty…nice write laurie…love all your commentary last night in the pub as well..smiles.
Scrub the outside of the cup as much as you like – itwon’t make an iota of difference on the inside. Why is our culture so fixated on appearances rather than reality?
Lori, we were on the same wavelength today. I chose the dieting thing to focus on
That being said, I freaking love this! The cucumbers are the kicker.
It seems for some it is easier to work on the exterior than the interior. Well expressed, Laurie.
mary nailed it..easier to wrok on the exterior than the interior.. i find it frustrating at times how beauty oriented our world is nowadays..
You nailed it and I see these women living these lives…not for me!
I think you caught every detail. I wouldn’t mind this as a gift for a day, though, and as an exceptional treat, I’ll have ecstasy under those cucumbers! Heck, I’ll bring my own! I think money is wasted on the rich.
this is perfect… and why i prefer to run outside… commune with nature a bit, afterwards, i always feel good.
nice, i sometimes wish i had a little more of that money though, so i could indulge in a personal trainer & all that… great title btw
This almost makes me glad to be poor! Even with money, there’s no way I’d join a gym! Excellent atmospheric poem, slightly wry.
totally agree, and the perfect title as well. true beauty unfolds from the inside.
Love the ending! I may not have the gym membership, but I do have peace inside, and that is more important than money and vanity. Peace, Linda
Whoah! Laurie, you know I have worked as a Personal Trainer in gyms for over 20 years (no need to talk specific numbers, right?) I could tell you stories. Needless to say I love this…gets me thinking I should really finish THAT book…lol.
Oh! Laurie, that last line is a zinger. Fantastic.
Wonderful – I believe that the only makeovers that take hold are the ones that take place inside. Great poem. Mosk
Definitely nailed it at the end there.
Yea, nice ending!
Love how you peel back the veil of the plastic-fantastic rich !! You got me missing my old sweat lodge in the the woods !! Great poem !!
Oh i know that feeling so well… Great words here!
You’ll probably have an analyst to see after the gym…
Thought-provoking!
I agree with Mary and Rosemary…so much easier to work on the outside than the in…thought provoking.
Oh wow, great poem, really is it worth all that money and effort… and worrying about how we look in lycra… loved the ending!
Lordy, some of that was me for a few years. In the aftermath, I learned my tiny Adonis of a trainer had pec implants. Yup, it’s a real thing. Look it up. Spot on slice of a life I knew briefly before escaping Orange County, California. Love the poem!
Oh, if only as much dedication were made on behalf of our inner selves. Nice, Laurie.
Well written, speaks truth….
Killer last couple of lines that your piece drives us towards… Let’s be pretty and happy too!!
With Best Wishes Laurie http://www.scotthastie.com
I like the cucumber eyes…but health starts with eating right, moderately, a goodnight sleep….all these are superficial and costly ~ Good one Laurie ~
It’s true, it can offer choices but never buy happiness
Many that I know take part in the world of gym workouts! I’d rather save my money and take a nature walk!
Some people spend all their time on their outer self and then wonder why their inner self is so miserable. Nicely done.
I totally know this woman!
I needed to read this today as I’m feeling down on myself for not working out more. There’s nothing wrong with being healthy, but the obsession in our world with outer beauty is out of control in every way. Thanks
Nudist resorts are much more comfortable, and nobody knows how much money anybody has, with all the designer rags out of sight! Still, there are few things more delightful than a full body massage, the sauna, the Jaccuzzi, the pool, an afternoon in the sun with a good book (poetry, of course!). Could I get sour cream on these cuke slices, pul-eez?!? LOL
Fun read!
So very true. I’ve seen that emptiness that money can never buy. Without inner joy, what use is it?
Love this, …and great wollop at the end!
Joined one of these places a year ago, lasted a month. Switched membership to Anna. She went twice.. Ya think we should maybe resign the membership? Smile….No doubt, the “beautiful Peeps” are there.
How we appear (outside) means more than who we ARE…inside!Has this not always been so? Until we have no body, only a sou; undressed, open, no more lies.
You tell it like it IS, Lori….
Good job, Laurie… don’t we all know someone like this?
Laurie, SPOT ON. This portrait of the idle rich (some of whom become idols for the poor through the media) starts at the surface and goes bonedeep. Truly remarkable, and I’m so glad i stopped by. Sorry I’ve been absent… depression goes deeper than bone… Amy
http://sharplittlepencil.com/2013/02/18/599-wheres-my-pencil/
love the sarcasm. I think we see these types of people all the time. Love the ending, really takes us into this type of character psychologically, offering a glimpse into what may be the catalyst for their superficial behaviors. Very nicely done. Thanks
Very nice. I like it when a piece of text has a twist at the end. I love it.
Yes, indeed. But don’t we all hide some misery inside?
…what a clever end Laurie… and i’m with Mary too about the exterior / interior aspect of human behavior… smiles…
Lori, that is the truth. your poetry is filled with true human experience.. really great writing…thank you
Sadly so true. Interestingly for me, working out and the gym “saved my life” in a way. I am actually considering becoming a personal trainer for people in recovery. I would love to be able to share it as a way to find your inner strength by feeling what your body can accomplish purely through pushing beyond what you think your own limitations are. It really helped me. I love your work here, sorry if I went off on a tangent!
I think you’ve captured the “belonging” to a gym perfectly!
oh! this is so apropros for me right now… been spending a lot of time in the gym, and a lot of time observing there… just had a conversation last night about what we must be compensating for… thanks, Laurie!
Things aren’t always what they seem, are they. As they say, money can’t buy happiness. Enjoyed reading your capture.
First in at dVerse Laurie! Congrats – I don’t know why I find that so impressive but I do…I remember this from barbells and it’s still every bit as wonderful… good poem. I resurrected an oldie too but can’t remember for whom it was penned – probably the street … works for the prompt so …
http://nsaynne.wordpress.com/2013/02/21/janis-ian-is-my-muse/
Interesting!
Nicely written portrait
I’m not so sure about the lunges and whatnot, but the massage and sauna sound like something I could evaporate into. that aside, the end was quite striking.
We all suffer, we all find our joy…rich or poor, makes no difference.
Very True! If something is not going to help our inner self then why go through all of that and waste money? However, if going to the gym (or any activity for that matter) is helping and improving inner self then, why not?
I can relate to this feeling which you’ve expressed so well here. I’ve just come to the conclusion that some people really love and thrive on workouts and gyms and some of us just hate no matter how much we try and that’s ok. Nicely done
adored this piece – may I use it to show my writing classes? don’t have to; don’t want you to feel pressured, but you nailed it!
Thank you… and YES, I’d be honored!! Please let me know how it goes.