Glossy – A Poem by Jennifer David
- A Broad Perspective
- Jul 4, 2022
- 2 min read
Updated: Dec 19, 2025
Who else remembers the old magazines that promised you could learn how to lose 15 pounds in 5 days, become sexier in 5 days, cook a meal to his heart, and all the old-school how-tos that were aimed at superficialities (and for women to be ‘better’ for men)!?
I certainly do. And who else tried and failed and felt like a failure because of it?
Don’t be superficial.
Don’t believe everything you read.
And don’t judge a book by its cover!
Search for truth, depth, and meaning in all things.
Use your judgment and trust your intuition.
Step into your power, but don’t abuse it.
ADVERTISEMENT
Glossy
Written in February 2015 by Jennifer David
She learns how to become a cook
How to become a runner
Promises on how to become a better lover
All from skimming the cover...
She falls for it
She tumbles
Stumbling on the shoestrings
Of her sneakers
That, in reality, just makes her meeker
And shall I even say bleaker?
Like a beacon of society that says
Here I am...
Look at me…
I take notice
I read the cover
She takes all of the quizzes
And wonders why
Reality fizzes
In comparison
To the predictions
She flips the pages
Creating rage inside her
Tormented with confusing desire
For the quick fixes
Creating instantly airbrushed wounds
On her soul
NO QUIZ
NO TEST
NO COMPARISON TO THE REST
Will reassure her
Of her
Reassure her
Of the beauty that radiates inside her
Not created from airbrushed strokes
Or trite words from know-it-all folks
It’s the discovery she must find
Inside her own mind
And let go
Of the societal precedent she knows
To exude the light
And fight for the plight
Of discovering who she is
Because no cover can truly
Teach you to be a better lover
Or to put others' needs before your own
And if you claim you can attain
It all starts with skimming the cover
You need to discover
The true meaning
Of depth
© Jennifer David 2026
Thank you for reading and your continued support!
Please leave a like or comment if you enjoyed this piece, and let me know your thoughts on this subject... Have you ever felt similar pressures?
If so, how have you dealt with them?
See More from Jenn...
Grey Hair Blog
Follow an empowering journey of going grey and choosing authenticity over approval. A celebration of aging boldly and embracing the silver within.
About Jennifer David
Writer, traveler, coach, and voice behind “A Broad Perspective.” Explore her journey through grey hair, self-expression, full-time travel, and radical authenticity.
One of my favorite poems of Jenn's!