The Girl Whose Picture Is On The Side Of The Box Poem by Raj Dronamraju

Today I will count to three
And today I will push in the lock button on my bedroom door
And today I will thrash around alone looking for objects to break in a fit of temper

And the things I cannot get
The frustration of being 16 years old
Will stay with me for a lifetime
And I remember….

The girl whose picture is on the cereal box
Be she gymnast, cheerleader, or housewife
Exists only for the purpose of advertisement

And as I turn her upside down to fill my cereal bowl
I think of a utopia where no one lies
And noble nervous wrecks such as I
Are celebrated and revered

But for now,
I draw a moustache on her face
And I cut out her eyes
On the back,50 cents off further cereal purchases