COEXIST: The Evil Scale

Diane Vogel Ferri’s full-length poetry book is Everything is Rising (Luchador Press). Her latest novel is No Life But This: A Novel of Emily Warren Roebling (Atbosh Media) Her essays have been published in The Cleveland Plain Dealer, Scene Magazine, and Yellow Arrow Journal, among others. Her poems can be found in numerous journals such as Wend Poetry, Blue Heron Review, Rubbertop Review, and Poet Lore. Her previous publications are Liquid Rubies (poetry), The Volume of Our Incongruity (poetry), and The Desire Path (novel). She has done many poetry readings locally. Diane’s essay, “I Will Sing for You” was featured at the Cleveland Humanities Festival in 2018. A former teacher, she holds an M.Ed from Cleveland State University and is a founding member of Literary Cleveland. Her poem, For You, was nominated for a Pushcart Prize and Best of The Net 2023

Monday, April 13, 2009

The Evil Scale

There is a horrifying number
between my feet.
It is one I have not seen before.

I have lightened myself
as much as I could so why
did I step up and look at the floor?

Denial, sacrifice, martyrdom, oh my!
I am adipose, apoplexic
and mortified.

Now my day is ruined
as I obsess over why.
One blissful meal and now I want to cry.

Why is it a sin to enjoy
the fruits of God's good earth?
Why does the scale take away my mirth?

I am innocent!
I don't deserve this I say.
After all, I exercised just yesterday.

You pig, you slug
into the mirror I say,
but the scale doesn't lie about how much I weigh.

11 comments:

Cheryl said...: SO well said!!!; April 13, 2009 at 8:10 PM
Daniel Bell said...: Get off it! Both literally off the scale and figuratively. Good poem but bad attitude. You are the best looking woman "of a certain age" that I've ever known. If your clothes fit, your husband loves you and you see a smile staring back at you when you look in the mirror in the morning, you can afford to toss that scale in the trash.

Love ya.; April 14, 2009 at 11:07 AM
Susan's Snippets said...: DVF -

I agree with Daniel....don't fuss too much!!

about weight and such; April 14, 2009 at 1:58 PM
Jan said...: You expressed how I'm feeling!; April 14, 2009 at 9:24 PM
Cliff said...: I don't let the scales
Remove from me mirth
Because all the mirrors
Reveal to me girth; April 15, 2009 at 7:09 AM
Julie said...: I love it! Again, you make me laugh at myself, Diane. I know I shouldn't obsess over pounds, but I do. I especially love the fourth stanza. "Now my day is ruined" is so true. I love the title, too!

Daniel does have a good point. Your picture is beautiful.

But the poem is wonderful and helps remind women like me how ridiculous we act about numbers on a scale. Thank you for posting it!; April 15, 2009 at 10:36 AM
Ruth Hull Chatlien said...: It's a good expression of the way women can feel.; April 15, 2009 at 9:29 PM
Kat Mortensen said...: You pig, you slug! - That's a bit harsh on yourself, isn't it? I don't think scales do us any good; they only eat away at our self-esteem. Treat yourself once in a while, exercise regularly and stick to fruits and veggies mainly.

I'm sure you don't look nearly as bad as you're making out. (I love that word "adipose" by the way!)

Kat; April 16, 2009 at 3:17 PM
rosebuckle said...: We all have things about ourselves we don't like and need a humorous take on them.
I think your poem is a delightful example of humor.
Everybody else...LIGHTEN UP! :); April 17, 2009 at 12:13 PM
Diane Vogel Ferri said...: Thank you Rosebuckle! It was SUPPOSED to be funny!; April 18, 2009 at 9:42 AM
RachelW said...: Evil, evil scale! Best not to have one in the house at all. I didn't have one for years, not wanting to see anorexia return.; April 18, 2009 at 11:16 AM