I wake up every day; eat, shower
I do the things that my body needs.
But when the mirror cuts in to dance,
My morning initiation begins to fulfill
some needy, fiendly addiction.

I begin by noticing petty things -
try to ignore them but they won't go away -
And I naturally become obsessed.

My lips are too small again today and
my hair is still not long
my eyebrows have grown too thick again -
So I start this psychotic initiation thing
To be allowed to join the masses.
I completely remodel my face
with eyeliner on my eyes and the mascara
on top of that, the mosturizer over everything
the cover-up pasty creme on the red spots then
I put the lipstick that sticks to my teeth
and cups and other lips on my scrawny lips
My hair gets combed, and combed, and combed again
The mirror laughs, the counter and the sink get cluttered
And when all the mess is over with,
When each curl is right in place
And each lash absolutely long,
I still find all the imperfection -
I still just look depraved.

I wake up everyday, eat and shower and then,
I do the initiation, the ritual of
making myself feel and look
like a made-up, sold-out
piece of something besides me.
Everyday.
I hate it and do it.
I hate it and do it.

Jennifer Witten is a big part of Luke Havergal Electro-zine