All True

About the poem

All True was published in issue 10 of Banshee in September 2020.

I don’t often write or publish comic poems because I find myself feeling particularly vulnerable when they are out in the world. I love to laugh and of course, I think I’m funny but I am always unsure as to how that translates out in the world.

The inspiration for this poem was the growing intel movement and accompanying conspiracy theories about women looking to over through men. The theories are absurd, as conspiracy theories are, but I started to wonder about how exactly women might organise such a revolution. Alongside the practical implications of such a grand initiative - which lead to the agenda format - I wanted to point out the absurdity of the theories by pursuing them to their logical conclusion.

I tinkered a lot with the ending of the poem. I know that it’s not the most empowering end to suggest that women may well be plotting a coup, but they still worry about their cellulite, but it felt real to me. I know so many incredible women who achieve amazing things and still worry about whether they are overweight, or going grey, or getting wrinkles. It seems like an absurd end to a poem all about women seizing power, but that’s only because it’s utterly absurd that women do this.

The other aim of the poem was to highlight some of the horrors of business language. The agenda format and tone helped me to work in some of the most hated phrases from the world of business. It’s also a nod to the fact that the commercial world often hides its nefarious acts in jargon and off-hand references. I had a lot of fun writing this poem, from developing the tone to thinking of the agenda items, and it felt good to laugh.