On Shanae 'Shanaynay' Ankney from season 26 of “The Bachelor” 

“I was good. Holy **** I was good. I didn’t mean to cry but I cried” - Shanae’s response after she receives a rose from Clayton Echard, the Bachelor. 

I left myself intact
Took the prosecutor out to lunch
Cuz I can fill my own cavities
Eat the plaintiff raw

A reactionary accusation
When I take too much from the platter
Leaves everyone hungry

O bite-sized and interesting
I am making myself available so you can pick me
I’m not like the others

Lay the script
I revise nothing 

When all the girls in the house fall asleep
I am still writing my lines 

O jump cut
O voiceover
I veer to the side so I don’t become the collision
I catch you looking so I keep staring back

O rubbernecker, intaker of magicians and jokers,
Do you see the producer standing in the wings?
Did you know the cameraman knows more than I do?

The way I bait and switch
Scheme my way out of a mess
Miss my chance at good girl stardom
Watch a rose turn swiftly into a bullet
We are all directing our aim
At this episode’s ceremony
Us villainous women
Who knows who will become the title 

We are all reaching for the edge 
Skimming our hands across the smooth surface
Still looking down into the camera’s dark aperture  

This is the verdict:
When all the other girls go home
I get to stay. 

Zoe Dorado is a poet, journalist, and musician who is interested in the way storytelling integrates itself into different art forms. She is part of the Bayanihan Youth Group of Filipino Advocates for Justice, SPOKES — the youth advisory board of Youth Speaks, and is the Inaugural Youth Poet Laureate of Alameda County. As a poet, she has collaborated with the SEIU-UHW, creating poetry for healthcare workers; led poetry workshops for youth at the Filipinx Bay Area Cooperative Sama Sama; and has performed in San Francisco’s City Hall to her Lola’s kitchen. You can find more of her work at zoedorado.com.

Identifying as both an Illustrator and Fine Artist, Michelle Stevens graduated with a BFA from Massachusetts College of Art and Design with Honors and a Faculty Choice Award in 2019. She has exhibited work at Fitchburg Art Museum, Clark University, and Abigail Ogilvy Gallery, among many others. She has worked on major art projects for Boston Calling Music Festival, received the 2019 Roddy Drawing Prize at ConcordArt, has been recognized by the Society of Illustrators NYC. Her illustration clients include Joseph’s Bakery, Trillium Brewing Company, as well as musician San Holo and his record label Bitbird.