Don't you honey-baby-sugar-sweetheart me-
that's not my name -- Why can't you see
that I am not sugar, and my heart's not sweet-
My heart is filled with the roar of the street!
with the rush of the road and the sound of the sky-
and a million loud dreams that persist and defy!
My mind is a hammer, my heart is a fire
it'll singe your hand, it'll burn your desire
I am no baby you can coddle and coo
I am a woman, through and through.
My throat is a canyon, my mouth is a roar
my voice is the flood which crashes and pours
and drowns out sorry saps like you-
yes, you, the man that I'm talking to!
And I'm not alone; oh, yes, there's more-
there's more than one woman that I'm speaking for.
Well, we're speaking up now, marching to our own beat.
And we are not sugar and we are not sweet.
So when you turn a corner and I'm the one you see-
don't you honey baby sugar sweetheart me.
Author notes
There was a letter to the editor in the paper the other day written by an older man in response to something someone had written about being called honey or sugar by men she didn't know. The writer of the letter said that he thought it was a shame that women didn't like that any more, and I decided to write this.
I don't like being called honey or sugar by people who know me, and when you don't know me and you call me that it just makes me a little bit more angry because, as the poem says, I am not sugar and I am not sweet. Plus, it just makes it seem like my name's not important enough for you to learn. If you don't want to know my name, call me miss or ma'am. Call me Lady if you want to heckle me. But don't call me Honey.
Please tell me what you think
Comments
1 - 14 of 14
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I totally agree. I loved the way you wrote this poem, very sassy (in a positive way)
Love D.L.
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Besides just agreeing with the idea, I like this for a variety of reasons. I initially thought that it would inevitably be too blunt, too much like prose, etc. - but none of these fears were correct. While it was certainly not beating around the bush with its message it was refreshingly honest rather than dully brazen. The rhythm and meter gave it a fresh feel - I found myself tapping my foot a little and imagining the music behind this, a strong woman's voice belting out the words. It's a charged poem - what makes it so is that you don't try to convey your emotion, you let it come naturally. (You show rather than tell.) Very fresh, very original, very good.
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yes!
wonderful poem, love the strong, distinct voice in this, and the rhyme adds to it. can definetly relate, bothers me too, perhaps not for the same reasons. just irritating to me, whether from a man or a woman, whether i know you or not, but from a man i am especially bothered by it. i understand it is partly a cultural/generational thing, so i tolerate it (thankfully i haven't ever gotten "baby" or "sugar," which i would be extremely offended by because they definetly have sexual connotations, are usually terms of affection reserved for romantic relationships, so to use them with someone you don't even know purely because of their gender...) but anyway, i appreciated your (extremely well-constructed and fun) rant against it. love the descriptions too of
"My heart is filled with the roar of the street!
with the rush of the road and the sound of the sky-
and a million loud dreams that persist and defy!
My mind is a hammer, my heart is a fire
it'll singe your hand, it'll burn your desire"
and "My throat is a canyon"
in any case, very nice. -
LOVED IT!
So true, can't even explain how much this says what I think. It sort of reminds me of a song lol. I loved it! It was perfect and had a real meaning. Great write! -
I like the sentiments expressed here, and the poem itself is absolutely perfect. It's so damn... POWERFUL. Strong, beautiful images and the flow/rhythm are perfect.
"that I am not sugar, and my heart's not sweet-
My heart is filled with the roar of the street!
with the rush of the road and the sound of the sky-
and a million loud dreams that persist and defy!"
As a young woman--worse, a blonde-- I'm frequently called "sweetie," "sweetheart," "honey," etc by people I don't know. It's annoying as hell, I agree with you there. (Though I don't mind being called these by a guy I love... because I know there's respect there, and hey, you have to be sweet to someone!)
~QoA
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Certainly by a person you love it's different. but random people? give me a break. Thanks for reading!
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Ya got a little May West and a little Tom Waits goin here. A splash of Kerouac ... I might add too....
...drowns out sorry saps like you...
I like that.
Nice work
Blessings,
LOWELL POE
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Kerouac? Awesome! I'm not sure it's exactly beat, (rhymes and all) but the comparison is fun. Thanks for reading!
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woowwww!! i think this is amazing! it flows soo well! i like the rhyiming in it! it seems so natural! i also like the meaning behind it. i also like how humourous it is.
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What a great poem! I especially like the lines "My heart is filled with the roar of the street!/with the rush of the road and the sound of the sky-/and a million loud dreams that persist and defy!" Just rockin'. Great message and delivery!
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Haha. Great piece. I definitely appreciate the message and marvel at the rhymthic flow of this. Well done!
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Wow, such power filled with the words written here as well with flow supporting the lines clearly
And the ending was a great impact, indeed ^^
I quite enjoyed this, it's a great piece
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Holy crap. This poem was amazing. I loved the attitude and tone that you expressed it in. The first stanza was awesome. The flow was beyond impeccable.
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amazing? well, I don't know about that, but thanks for thinking so!
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