A Fat Person Dies
& on the news, one quarter of the reacts
are laughing emojis. A fat person dies &
their grieving family creates a press release
adorned with the connections of family.
A fat person dies & people see
their body as a foregone conclusion.
The world is in no way lighter.
Light no longer reflects in their once-
smart and compassionate eyes. A fat person dies
& their soul goes into that
ineffable place. A low pressure system
shrugs its familiar unsettled path
across the Ohio River Valley.
16 thoughts on "A Fat Person Dies"
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So aptly conveys the assumptions and values attached based on social norms. Love the way it moves between the perception of the deceased as a human being versus just “a fat person”. Bravo.
This poem encapsulates what society is and the stigma associated with size. What an important poem. Thank you for writing it and sharing it with us.
“A fat person dies & people see
their body as a foregone conclusion.
The world is in no way lighter.”
Powerful.
Love how the title repeats driving the focus.
This line speaks volumes “The world is in no way lighter.”
Heartbreaking: “Light no longer reflects in their once-
smart and compassionate eyes.”
Love the muscle of shrugs in “shrugs its familiar unsettled path”
Re: “one quarter of the reacts/are laughing emojis.” Cruel beyond measure. Happened on my cousin’s obituary page where folks could leave comments. We were grief-stricken by the loss of this beautiful, loving, intelligent woman and this comment sliced us raw.
Thank you for writing this powerful poem.
Wow. This poem is a heartbreaker/truth-telling piece. The change at this line–and the truth–really grabbed me: “The world is in no way lighter.” Thank you for writing this piece.
Heartbreaking and honest about our society!
Shaun – Thank you for writing this! I have almost given up on us as a “society.” The laughing emojis make me sick. A powerful message – yes, “the world is in no way lighter.” It’s only uglier.
This is so good
poignant and local.
the ampersands convey
the infinity of the poem,
the ways it moves from gut
to heart: a rendering that turns
fat into tallow.
Oh, Shaun. How sad and angry this poem makes me. I can’t think what else to say, except thanks for being you.
Shaun, this is a powerful and necessary poem. VERY IMPORTANT WORK!
Powerful, Shaun! Too, I agree with H.A., about our society and the stigma with size.
Fantastic writing, as usual, and so powerful. I particularly like how you shift from the person’s compassionate eyes to discussing the soul and then weather at the end— “shrugs its familiar unsettled path.”
You capture some of what’s wrong in this world today. There is too much apathy and too little empathy. Great job showing this here.
“The world is in no way lighter.” Wow. You say so much in this statement- exactly halfway into this piece- and then the “familiar unsettled path” that echoes all. Gorgeous. Unsettling. (as intended, I think)
Shaun, thank you for writing this heartbreaking, important poem. For speaking the truth about fat-shaming or whatever you want to call it.
This line broke me: “The world is in no way lighter.”
Quite a (true) statement about the way our society views some people as less human because of their size. You have a wonderful way of expressing truths without telling the reader how to feel. Instead, you point the way, & it’s very effective.
The last line is so beautiful… it’s soothing somehow, while being somber. Like crying at a funeral