Bettie Page.......tragedienne

[saw]

dad traded dimes
for her silence, touched her
in all the wrong ways
her ninth birthday, so
Bettie watched cowboy movies
with the hush money
tried to forget

left the college of the bible
for the cheap backdrops
of the Klaw,
Irving took the shots
the queen of the pin-ups
queen of the curves

harem girl
jungle girl
kitten with a whip
innocent child
country girl
sultry mistress

so many parts to play
blazing the trail
the sizzling role model
the sexy black bangs
put the bomb in bombshell
oh tortured star of Teaserama

material girl, Madonna
just a poser
stole Bettie's conical bra, but
time was unkind
demons of the past
rose to the surface, she fought

with all her might, but
Bettie's clown dance
disintegrated into violent obsession
God tells her to stab her landlord,
Hialeah mug shots,
asylum walls

[creativesoul]

love this- roles and rolls of fat good stuff on a full figure poem

[Steve Plonk]

Saw, looks like your verses captured a good overview of Ms. Page's life.
I saw her last interview, and was reminded of how gutsy and authentic
Bettie was compared to Madonna and others.

Mental illness is sadly on the increase in many folks in showbiz. Nowadays it is difficult to keep one's private life from view. Tabloids are so cruel and unforgiving.