I SHALL wear Red Lipstick

I shall wear Red Lipstick

because it enhances my photographic image

because I’m proud that I’m aging in a good way

because it reminds me that I can be sexier

because I’ve survived life’s recent vexing ordeals

because it challenges my son’s perception of whom I am…

because lippy is quicker to apply, than painting my nails

because my mother may disapprove

because it’s just for me- ‘a time-out moment’

because I can change the colour if and when I choose

because wearing bright red lipstick made me laugh at myself

because my eldest niece said: you kick arse

because it celebrates who I have become

a sassy middle-aged woman who knows what she wants!

by Kay Beer


I love poetry

Recently I purchased a second hand copy of ‘Staying Alive’ edited by Neil Astley for .80p in pristine condition. I wonder why anyone could/would discard a beautiful anthology of poetry that contains some amazing poems- but that’s a topic I’ll keep for another post.

Also I belong to a writing group, currently attendance numbers can be low (which is a shame) and that how’s I ended up chairing last months session and setting next months homework: Pick a poem, take the opening line of this poem as a prompt to write either your own poem or a short story.

The poem I landed on was ‘I shall paint my nails red by Carole Satyamurti,’ which struck a chord with me and I wanted to respond.

So my effort above ‘I shall wear red lipstick,’ is not really a poem as such, it could be regarded as free verse, but really it's more of a conscious stream of my thoughts thrown on to my paper, unedited!

Let me know if it resonates or strikes a chord with you

& Keep Writing