Paper Doll - 2 Poems
WE TESTIFIED
By Becca Lavin
WE TESTIFIED
WE SIT in the bleachers and...
WAIT, NOT,
FORCED APOLOGIES
Through clenched teeth FROM...
OBFUSCATIONS’ OFFSPRING
WE WILL TESTIFY AGAIN
WAIT AGAIN and...
AGAIN
FOR...
JUSTICE & WHAT?
WE BELIEVED
WAS
‘THE AMERICAN WAY’
WE WILL and...
A Wait
‘THE HUMAN-EST WAY’
Becca Lavin 4/21/2026
Inspiritu:‘Paper Doll’ / The Painting
Paper Doll
A poem? (aka) rant inspired by my painting of the same name
Remember the song, Paper Doll?
Back in ‘the day’? Perhaps not...
Lyrics like, “I want to buy a paper dolly
I can call my own?”
Not ‘playing’ these days, unless...
Sung by a child, usually a girl, because
‘WE’ said so
‘This’ Paper Doll
Born fully grown and Self suIicient
In the year 2026 is having
NONE of THAT!
First, SHE CAN’T BE BOUGHT and
Certainly is not up for the owning part!
She stands on her own, without props
of any kind.
Yes, she can be vulnerable but that is a
Universally human trait
Not designated to any ONE sex or
AIiliation thereof.
AND...
Ohhhh...there are SO many
Fairly NEW and APPROVED rules
Around the female human
Such as...
1: For safety sake:
DO NOT RUSH IN
Where strangers dare to go
(without SPOKEN invitation)
2: DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE,
Ohhhh, SO MANY THINGS
About Her
And WELL, YOU KNOW...
The LIST is LONG and
not many will take the time to
GO ON, and so...
3: BE ALERT and ask around
( preferably, female TEACHERS and
EDUCATED men)
Before Miss-Taking the Paper Doll for a flimsy
‘piece’ that will fold, easily, be crushed or
Go, quietly, into the un-spoken, un-
relentless world you may have
MAN-YOU-FACT-TURD
For ease of “CON-Science?”
In your Miss-TAKEN ways
4: If you just can’t be bothered
To LEARN or OWN UP
When THE TIME IS RIGHT
(And the time is... WAY-PAST-RIGHT!)
WORRY!
Why?...
Be-‘CAUSE’
Rumpl Stilt Skin’s PRICKS
ARE FALLING DOWN!
Thanks to the “Un-Hinged”
(aka) “RELENTLESS FOR JUSTICE,
PAPER DOLLS”
CHILDREN grow UP &
FEMALE children BARE children
of their own.
They, literally, MAKE HUMANS!
And you thought
(were you Thinking?)
They / We were an EASY-GET?
This was your first & your last
MISS-TAKE!
La-Dee-Da.......
La-Dee-Dee
LA...DE...DUH!
Becca Lavin is a woman of a certain age (79) who turned to the written WORD in order to give her a voice she could listen to when, especially 'back in the days’, others may not have been able to. A voice she could question and opine in the boldest, yet, most vulnerable of ways. Life saver, this.
Now that she has wrestled her way forward and relaxed into a time of life when she should have most, if not all, her questions answered she has taken up the visual arts and thanks (?) to the crazy world of humans has more questions, such as WhatTF?! and WhenTF shall this too pass? Retired from a 20 year massage therapy practice, in 2020 she decided to try painting at her granddaughter’s requests. Becca lives in Redmond, WA.