Authentically Fake
How come some have it all, she wonders
The clothes the Corvettes the coats so warm
Houses so big, all for one movie star and her boy toy
Pools they don’t swim in, just get drunk beside
More cars than they could ever drive
like little boys collecting marbles
Women panicked by age, skin stretched and sewn
Poisons injected into foreheads, butt fat into lips,
plastic made for Barbie breasts and big booty
Arnold must sit in a private spa with a head full
of foil to keep that blond, Redford, too
Hair Plugs For Men (I’m not only an action star;
I’m also a client) – only his agent knows for sure
Guys gayer than picnic baskets, hand on the girl’s
knee – but never higher than that.
Rich people dressed like… clowns.
BEIBER! Pull up your damned pants!
HEIDI KLUM! Put those girls in a bra!
KARDASHIANS! Just go away, now!
Jeez, they are all so fake…
My shopping cart, yeah, this is real
And my cup full of change from kind people
This bench, solid and all mine, for now
I may be homeless but I’m not a public joke
Here on Hollywood near Vine,
I’m the most authentic person in town
© 2013 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil
Poets United wanted poems on truth, on authenticity. As seen through the eyes of a homeless woman, we begin to question what is real and why some people work so hard at faking it to appear authentically young, perky, and prosperous. Peace, Amy
Sharp Little Pencil 
Diane Turner
So well written and so well said. Wow! Thanks for sharing.
kaykuala
In all honesty, yes! Where is the need to flaunt all the wealth on so very few. More often than not it’s all temporary waiting for some stupid moves before all these disappear. Where is the fairness of distribution. Few have many homes while many are homeless. There must be something wrong somewhere. Very thoughtful, Amelita! Answers can be varied!
Hank
Polly Robinson
heh-heh ‘Pull up … pants’ rofl ~ an excellent poem that made me laugh over and over ~ nice one Amy 😀
Akila
wow! quite a take on the fakes and gimmicks! far away from being self! loved your frankness!!
http://randomlynovel.blogspot.in/2013/05/truth-it-is.html
vandana
contentment is the greatest glory
Snakypoet (Rosemary Nissen-Wade)
Oh, well said!
Roger Green
got that write, or right!
Mary
Well said, Amy!
coalblack
You tell ’em, girl! I’m sitting with YOU!
Lance
When my grandparents died, I was shocked to find out how wealthy they were. They had a nice house but little else to indicate so. My grandmother still kept vegetables and fruit she grew in her backyard, in her fridge.
well written. BTW, I’ve been reading. I should comment more…my bad. Great title
Carol Steel
This is great. Calling it like it is. And the poor and ill get to live on the street while the rich and ill get to make reality TV. That’s not right.
bonniejtoomey2013
A real rant of the have not who seems to have everything – I like the line
/my shopping cart, yeah this is real/
This comparison is out on a limb and it evokes a lot of passion.
Timoteo
This is SPOT ON, Amy. What kind of defect in the human psyche causes one to collect more, more, more, for no practical reason–just because you can? And the Kardashians–I still haven’t figured out why anybody cares! Is it just that we want to gape–with warped fascination–at the train wreck their shallow lives will eventually become? And that poor kid Bieber, with an identity crisis–he doesn’t know if he’s black or white!
Sharp Little Pencil
More importantly, he doesn’t know if he’s gay or straight, and that’s not a good role model for youth. Too many young gay kids look to him as an icon, and he could prevent some suicides by doing the selfless thing – coming out. My two cents, and I’m so impressed by your comment, thanks! Amy
Sherry Blue Sky
WOW! I was already loving every line, but when it turned out the Observer was a homeless woman, I wanted to get up and cheer! AWESOME truth told here, kiddo!
Sharp Little Pencil
Authenticity, found in the most unexpected places. I know homeless folks who absolutely laugh at our governor and his sicky-silk suits. A
Lisa A.Williams
Marvelous job describing the shallowness of wealth in our society. Love the idea of seeing this through a homeless woman’s eyes.
Kerry O'Connor
Amen, sister!
Josie Two Shoes
This was so good… so right on target! Truly, I pity those people who have the possibility to do such amazing things with their wealth and popularity, and instead they have lives and fears that are far sadder than anything I will ever experience. If there is anything I have little tolerance for it is being fake.
Sharp Little Pencil
Rich people who put on airs give me the willies. I had rich people in our family who treated my dad, a perfectly respectable engineer, like crap because he didn’t chase the almighty buck. Thanks for being on the team, Josie! Fake is… yucky.
Grace
I am all for honesty and those celebs are so fake and unreal ~ Love the straight talk Amy ~
kimnelsonwrites
Brilliant last stanza. Brighter observations than those fluorescent figures could ever emit. Love you and your view, Amy. Love.
ihatepoetry
I like the reveal in the last verse. Great – forces one to re-read the preceding with a new perspective. This is what I would call a poemonologue. Bravo!
Sharp Little Pencil
Poemonologue. I LOVE that! You just coined a great new word. Thanks for commenting, bruddah mine… Ameleh
ihatepoetry
Thanks, I also coined “poememoir” as my own autobiographical genre. Love ya, Moskareena
Sara V
Amy, another one square between the eyeballs! It is crazy stuff–and especially good for me to read this when I’m looking at wrinkles and bulges (my the sands of time have shifted my hourglass figure…) Excellent Poem!! And I’ll keep reminding myself to take a line from Neil DeGrasse–Quit worrying about how you look–and life your life…brilliantly…:-) Hugs to you and your authentic beautiful self
Sharp Little Pencil
Sara V, sounds like this helped you to a reality check. I do the same, and then remember some of the folks I meet on my walks on State Street, the homeless folks I talk with. They have it so together in some ways, like this one! xo
drpkp
Nice Amer – Doesn’t get more real than this 🙂