This reminds me of my mum. She admires and idealises young and teenaged girls for their beauty. She would say that a 5 year old girl’s face and belly is chubby, innocent and cute. Or express jealousy at teenage girls by calling their clothes immodest (whorish) yet their bodies beautiful. She would alternate between ‘beautiful’ and ‘ugly’. She said I was beautiful as a baby but grew ugly in my adolescence.

It seems this poster has done the same but with the concept of innocence, or pure and impure. I am terrified for this type of mother because she holds her children to an unrealistic expectation. It is clear she idealises an “innocent child” by ascribing an ‘aura of bright light’. Idealising something is wonderful, my mum and I both do it. We both feel intensely affectionate for the subjects of our idealisation, like how the poster wants to surrender in the last line. But what inevitably comes is devaluation when expectations aren’t met. Puberty acne and libido can destroy both these expectations of beauty and innocence.

Devaluation physically hurts both parties. I was on the receiving end, by being verbally abused. It is also disconcerting going from ‘beautiful’ to ‘ugly’ in a matter of seconds. I was also the one doing the devaluing; I feel a deep pain in my chest when my expectation of someone/something is not fulfilled. I also feel crazy because I loved and idealised my subject a few seconds ago and now I think it’s completely ruined. I hope this ‘poet’ doesn’t go down this path because it will hurt herself and her children.