Naughty And Nice (For Madonna)

In my latest poem I pay tribute to the first lady of music the one and only Madonna. It’s a kind of love letter to the woman who shaped my identity to a far greater extent than she’ll ever know. I’ve given it the title Naughty And Nice. I think you’ll find a lot of familiar references in this one. I hope you enjoy the read

Naughty And Nice

Dear Madonna

Thanks for your teaching in the ways of the world
in how to dream like a girl
and behave like a woman
for showing me the way to express myself
sing lullabies in Spainish
take my imagination to places
beyond my comprehension
be my own amazing invention
who could do whatever I liked
styling fishnet tights
with office girl chic
so women who had never thought of dating a transwoman
would take a chance on me
and do things
I never knew were possible

thank you for making me an unstoppable force
beyond the constraints
of chains I’ll never wear
for being there in the conservative years
when those like me were demonised
by taunts and lies
for showing me my inner thigh
is a very sensual place
I love that you kept a smile on my face
when I didn’t want to smile
and let me see
who I am and why I will be
the one who doesn’t do repression

they say confession is good for the soul
though not as powerful as authenticity
you showed that material girls can feel like virgins
if their partners treat them with respect
it wasn’t just about sex
though a bit of hanky panky can be nice
if you cherish me enough stop at the borderline
I remember the night I decided to open my heart and let you in
the mortal sins I must have committed
on the first night I wore a basque
would be no laughing matter
to the papa you told not to preach
I think I got away with it
as I danced on the beach
when I went on an unexpected holiday
your passion for equality inspired
me to aim higher
and not to make a liar of myself
embrace my bisexual attraction
and enjoy the pleasures guilt free

Thank you Madonna for giving me
anthems which endured through the ages
for taking stages by storm and showing girls we can be both naughty and nice
and letting us know Princess Diana
wasn’t the only role model available
thanks for leaving a necklace of attainable dreams
to be worn by girls like me
the ones who though we might never
be lingerie models
still want to aspire to something higher
than our mum’s generation
who could be our own sensation
leading our man or women in to temptation
beyond their wildest fantasies
as we explored our sexuality
in ways never mentioned in prayers

© Gayle Smith 2020.