• Home

    Home


  • Articles

    Articles


  • Happenings

    Happenings


  • Eksentriks

    Eksentriks


  • Community

    Community

  • Home
  • Asian Arts Magazine  ▾
    • Arts
    • Culture
    • Films
    • Literature
    • Music
    • Performing Arts
    • Photography
    • Poems
    • Stories
  • Artist Registry
  • Arts Community
  • Happenings

  • Sign In
  • Submit Stories & Poems
  • List Your Events
  • Be On Artist Registry

  • What Is Eksentrika?
  • Get In Touch With Us
  • FAQ
  • Join Our Monthly Newsletter
  • Eksentrika Facebook
  • Eksentrika Instagram
  • Eksentrika Twitter
  • Eksentrika Linkedin
  • Eksentrika Telegram
  • Start Writing
  • Asian Arts Magazine
  • Artist Registry
Arts & Culture Malaysia | Eksentrika
Eksentrika Login
POETRY | Work, Then Weddings by Purple Romero
Purple Romero

Written by Purple Romero

POETRY | Work, Then Weddings by Purple Romero

Share this article via


Her cropped hair

Her baggy pants

Her lack of lipstick

For you

Screamed incompetence

“She’s applying to be this – and that –

To be this – and that – ”

Therefore, she should dress like this

Look like this

Be like this

Never mind if she was

Industrious and diligent

To the bone

Never mind if she works twice as hard

As anyone else

Never mind.

She has no lipstick, no earrings, she’s not in a dress

She cannot apply here.

She cannot join us.

In Manila, some doors are shut

Some jobs are not given

Because a woman – a lesbian –

Had cropped hair

And had baggy pants

We want weddings, of course

We celebrate them

But let us work first.

In the Philippines, aside from the desire for legal I do’s

Are battles for rights

Far,

Far

Far

More basic than others

 

Cover image by Linh Nguyen on Unsplash

submit eksentrika scaled

Purple Romero

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Contribute to Us

We accept short stories, poems, opinion pieces, and essays on a complimentary basis.

SUBMIT

Other Stories You May Like

POETRY| The Time Traveller by Lavinia Grace Sebastian

The Time Traveller by Lavinia Grace Sebastian

Lavinia Grace Sebastian

POETRY | A Clock is Cooking by Derek Yong

A Clock is Cooking by Derek Yong

Derek Yong

POETRY | Storm Story by Amizura Hanadi

Storm Story by Amizura Hanadi

Amizura Hanadi

POETRY | Limericks of Unusual Occupations II by PL Weng

Limericks of Unusual Occupations II by PL Weng

PL Weng

POETRY | A to Z Of A Dysfunctional Relationship by Reshma Clare Stanislaus

A to Z of a Dysfunctional Relationship by Reshma Clare Stanislaus

Reshma Clare Stanislaus

Woes of Rain by Amizura Hanadi

Woes of Rain by Amizura Hanadi

Amizura Hanadi

About Eksentrika

Eksentrika is an arts community and an online Asian arts magazine with an artist registry. Join us to get inspired and find Asian artists here!

Quick Links

  • About Eksentrika
  • Contact Us
  • F.A.Q.

Join Our Newsletter

 


All Rights Reserved © 2021 Eksentrika | By eJeeban Web Design Company

  • Eksentrika Facebook
  • Eksentrika Instagram
  • Eksentrika Twitter
  • Eksentrika Linkedin
  • Eksentrika Telegram