CURLPAPERS Poem by Adília Lopes

We'll never cry enough
for having wanted to be beautiful
at all costs
I wanted to be beautiful
and I thought ringlets would be enough
to make me beautiful
I asked to have my hair done in ringlets
using a curling iron and curlpapers
they pulled my hair this way and that
I screamed
they told me that to be beautiful
you have to suffer
then my hair got all burnt
and wouldn't grow back
I had to start going around with a wig
you have to suffer to be beautiful
but suffering doesn't necessarily make us beautiful
suffering doesn't imply a reward
as a logical consequence
a toothache may stir pity in our mother
who to soothe us but not knowing for what
gives us a piece of candy
but the candy makes our teeth hurt even more
the consequence of suffering
can be more suffering
the cause following the effect
the motive for suffering being one of the consequences
of the suffering
curlpapers being a consequence of the wig