RUDE An Extended Metaphor*

by Katherine Szerdy

Her self-loathing

Projectile vomits outward

   bound—WATCH YOUR BACK!

Always in a hurry, never satisfied,

she refuses to take "no" for an answer. 

Instead, she is always motivated by a certain urgency to 
     get her way--NOW—RIGHT THIS MINUTE! 

When she doesn’t,

She turns around corralling her pseudo-sisters,

Who tiptoe around her, afraid to step on the

Shards of broken ego she leaves in her shadow.

Trapped in a self-imposed prison of neediness,

she cannot seem to break free from the

hypnotic cycle which keeps her from realizing

her true potential and those around her from

breaking the dance. 

Almost like a ritual, she does the rudeness dance--

     routinely rolls her eyes,

     throws her hip to one side,

     cocks her head,

     tosses her hair as a

c  e  r  e  m  o  n  i  a  l    rite,

then glares,

attempting to mesmerize her prey with fear. 

Eyes half-closed, confined by her narrow vision,

she backs herself into the corner.

Feeling trapped, she pushes and shoves,

aggressively forcing her will outward on "other"

rather than allowing contentment

    to simply

        effortlessly

    emerge from within. 

Control is her middle name. 

Entitlement is her song.

Grabbing the microphone,

She must have center stage

As she sings her “Entitlement” song,  

not realizing what must be sacrificed. 

With unleashed tongue,

She remains oblivious--

Dripping toxicity into the ears of innocents.

Cataracts of anger conceal her ability to see

that the universe must maintain a certain balance--

--yin and yang-- 

Yet, the wise ones, yes, the wise ones,

Are onto her game.

She does not yet understand that

    the universe will have its way,

for Rude will not, cannot succeed, no matter how hard she tries.        

In the end,

   unless the destructive conflagration

   burning within her heart is

   converted into compassion,

   the heat harnessed into humility,

   the sacrifice lassoed into a heart of service,

unless the realization dawns upon her that

   a power exists which is greater than herself,

the unbridled inferno will eventually consume her.


Copyright 2010        *Published in Ohio Teachers Write, 2010