ABOUT THE POEM: This poem, "Valuable," explores the corrosive nature of societal shame placed upon women. It contrasts the simple nakedness of a man with the complete psychological exposure felt by a woman, particularly regarding worth and money as a symbol of power.When a man strips,
only his cock appears.
When a woman strips,
everything appears:
nipples, cunt, butt,
a face scrubbed of its daily mask,
desires no longer on a leash,
the full skeleton of her wanting
laid bare-whether she chooses it
or was trained from birth to yield
simply for being female-
a self never taught
where “cheap” ends
and “vulgar” begins.
That nakedness is the clearest mugshot
of the world that shaped her.
She stands unsure
whether to burn with shame
or collapse into the familiar shyness.
She no longer knows
what is safe to show
and what must stay hidden.
She is naked now
exactly as she always was,
even under clothes.
If I had handed her money-
that cold coin of power-
she would have hated herself
for taking it.
Because what I had,
though not wrapped in wealth,
was worth more than money.
To you she might have opened
for desire alone.
To me it was only money.
Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder-
fair enough.
If she is “dirty,”
then the world itself is garbage.
The real question is simpler:
how do you eat love?
It doesn’t matter whether
she holds knives and forks
or you feast with bare hands-
what matters is whether
it is just hunger for sex
or thirst for love-companionship.
The hunt begins again,
the same treasure buried
in her, in you,
exactly where it always was.
