A Self Portrait
A Self Portrait
It is at night and in the morning
that I see myself most clearly:
My teeth pure white
'til I spit out the foam
and they are elephant ivory.
my eybrows ruffled by water
'til I smooth them down
as a hand on the cat's back
My collarbone a great seagull
my breasts, two smooth turtle shells
my belly a third.
Most clearly I see myself
in the evening and the morning,
during the day
I see only the world.
5-29-06
(the quality is slipping, and the one I wrote today and will post tomorrow is even worse...but I will stick with it. Surely something good will come again.)
It is at night and in the morning
that I see myself most clearly:
My teeth pure white
'til I spit out the foam
and they are elephant ivory.
my eybrows ruffled by water
'til I smooth them down
as a hand on the cat's back
My collarbone a great seagull
my breasts, two smooth turtle shells
my belly a third.
Most clearly I see myself
in the evening and the morning,
during the day
I see only the world.
5-29-06
(the quality is slipping, and the one I wrote today and will post tomorrow is even worse...but I will stick with it. Surely something good will come again.)