Barbie, on Playing with Barbies
 
It’s hard, because – well –
I’m hard. My hands
won’t bend around them.
My knees won’t bend either –
to play, I have to stand
or lie down.
 
I was once a sex toy, you know.
People used to stick me up their –
sorry, I misspoke. People used to
stick me on their dashboards.
My name was Lili then.
 
Now, when I play, I do my best
to hold onto these teeny tiny
mini-Barbies. We share
all the same problems and they
won’t look me in the eye.

Jessy Randall

If you have any comments on this poem, Jessy Randall would be pleased to hear from you.