Eric Barry Writes: Poetry, Short Stories, And Writing

My Inside-Out Beauty What role of disgust must I fulfill In order to fill the hole that I feel In order to feel whole and feel real An order of happiness found in a pill Is it "Fuck! Shit! Mother of God!" "I am made ugly! Parade the facade!" Is it bubbling, boiling, oozing with fat? "Acne on my face! Moles on my back!" What will be demanded of me To proclaim imperfection and help me to see That I once was blind to the ugly in me Some exercise in catharsis to purge this beauty An exercise in fingers and bile and throats An exercise to see what misery company loves most An exercise in “Ready? One two three lift!” An exorcism of esteem, an osmosis of shit Hairy nipples, hairy ass, hairy balls, hairy legs Hair he dreads, hair he snips, hair he clips, but his head Butt his head ram his head in disgust to the wall Butt his head ram in it, to makeup what’s too small To makeup for what was once clear, Too makeup to makeup for labels and queers Let’s makeup and take-up our worries and fears And fill in the gaps with m