Chartreuse
Image created on Canva
Title Credits: Poem by Rita Mock-Pike, performed by Dannie Asante-Appiah. Directed by Rita Mock-Pike for the MockingOwl Roost.
She’s like chartreuse in all that she does —
they know her name,
they know her function.
But no one knows who she is,
and no one cares that she is a person.
Assumptions fly —
she must be bright,
she must be vivid,
she must be light, and sunshine, and song.
That’s what a woman is.
But today she’s stormy —
no cares to give,
no pearly whites to show,
no pretty nods and coy glances.
Just growls of “leave me alone.”
“But Chartreuse! You’re a woman —
smiles are required,
joy must abound,
never a harsh word from your lips!”
She gives them the finger and walks on.
She’s like chartreuse in all that she does —
they know her name,
they know her function,
but no one knows who she is.
She’s not Chartreuse. She’s Kelly.
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Editor-in-Chief of The MockingOwl Roost, Rita Mock-Pike is the granddaughter of aviatrix, Jerrie Mock, first woman to pilot an airplane solo around the world. Rita has found inspiration from her grandmother’s life and flight and pursued many of her own dreams in theatre, podcasting, novel writing, and cooking up delicious food from around the world. She now writes on food, travel, pets, faith, and the arts. She’s happily married to Matt, and faithfully serves the very fluffy kitten queen, Lady Stardust.
Dannie Asante-Appiah
Dannie Asante-Appiah is a passionate creative with a love for film, theatre, voice acting, and the performing arts. She began acting in high school productions such as Les Misérables, Fiddler on the Roof, and Our Town, later expanding into student films and improv. In college, she minored in Theatre and Film Studies, joining the improv group Encore, and studying screenwriting and cinematography. She interned at The Second City after college, gaining behind-the-scenes writing and production experience. Fun fact, she is a lifelong movie buff and also co-hosted her own podcast, Chat Potatoes, for four years.
Find more from Dannie on Instagram.
