She Is Only a Body
She Is Only a Body
In windows there are faces, silhouettes
of eyes that have just stopped crying
or are about to cry or do not cry
because someone or no one will see.
There are stories in the freckles
on their lips. There are stories in their hands.
But mostly you can see the crux of things
in the way they cast their eyes down
and think.
(She sits at the bar and watches him
walk in. Says Hi can I buy you a drink,
he says Yes. Later they fuck in the bathroom.
In the cab on the way home she slips a ring
back onto her slender finger. She remembers the last time
her husband knelt before her and removed her panties
with his teeth. She remembers it was a year ago
and then she thinks of her wedding day
and how she once dreamed of drinking wine
with him on a porch in New Orleans,
the eaves painted robin’s egg blue.
A woman in her bathroom, two fingers
in her throat. Hot liquid hits cold porcelain.
She breathes easier. She cooks dinner,
slices stems from pink hydrangeas.
Her children are shrieking in the backyard.
She presses her palms to her ears.
She isn’t the woman she wanted to be.
In the mirror she sees frosting
on her shirt and licks it off.
A girl with her friends, her first time
at a lesbian bar. She meets a woman,
they go to dinner. They go to dinner again.
They see each other eleven of the next
fifteen days. The woman is married
or the woman is getting a divorce—
the girl is still a mistress.
But if she falls in love...
Isn’t this how affairs go?
She feels it on the subway when her head
bobs and her bag slides on her lap.
She feels it when she is only a body
at a table in Starbucks, head turned
into a book, hand wrapped around a cup
of tea. She feels it when she catches herself
dreaming of summer and tan feet.)
Meanwhile I snap green beans in a white kitchen.
Comments
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Great job!
Hey! I saw you were a mentor, and I was wondering if you could check out my work.....nobody has viewed it from this site yet.....so idk what is up with it....
Oathkeeper
That was really good!
I was hoping you could take a look at my work? (I know it's only one poem) I just really wanna perfect this one and take it to a speech competition! Thanks!!
i absolutely liked this poem. i loved the fact that this was a poem about three different women who have something in common: unhappiness.
Hullo Jan, I am new on this site and i just posted two of my poems and i would like you to take a look at them if it is not too much of a bother. I like your style of writing and would like you to be my mentor.
Thanks
I really like this poem. Would you mind looking at my work? I would love for you to mentor me.
This is my favorite out of all your poems. I love the in-your-face-ness of it haha!
I'll admit I'm not sure if I totally understand what the message is, is it just about how all strangers even though to us they're just faces in a window, they all have endless stories?
kem27
This is gorgeous. The form and the description is just exquisite. I'm not a great critique, I guess, but I love this poem.
Marcilenaaa
Hi I was looking for a mentor and came across you and was hoping you could read my poem I posted since I'm new to this website and just tell me whether or not it's good ? (: thanks a lot
msmarliebrooke
I absolutely love this! It's one of the best I've seen lately. Would you mind taking a look at what I havw wrote? I would love some advice! Thank you!
autonymapril
This is magnificent. Shoot. Magnificent.
toni has trauma
Hi. I know you are an incredibly busy human being, but I love your work and would be thrilled if you would be willing to be my mentor. I love how provocative your topics are, and you give attention to the things most people want to sweep under the rug. Your written voice is what the world needs more of. I would be honored if you would look at my poems and give a little feedback so that I can develop my thoughts better.
francis de'oliviera pio
hey!uhm...am kinda new to this, and really need a mentor. Telling from your poems so far, you seem to be good at this. So pls can u be my mentor?
jessicab35
I like how this poem is very detailed and expresses how the woman really feels. It's like she isn't holding back. My name is Jessica and I noticed your a mentor and I was wondering if you could look at some of my poems and let me know what you think? I saw where your from Lousiana and I thought you might like some of my southern style poetry.
1enigmagirl
could you check my poem and point out my mistakes..it's my first poem.. the name's: Alone
I loved how you incorporated the real-world lives in this piece. I would also like to add how brilliant the title is for this. I enjoyed the read, thank you!
kymonae
Amazing poetry I see you are a mentor could you find a chance to read my poems
Janet, wow! This is so deeply honest. Love the use of parentheses!
I have a piece for which I could use some insight. If you are available, I'd be honored.