Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Wednesday, May 13, 2009: On the Street…Rolled Shorts, NYC

Self-Portrait from Behind

I won’t face you, but I know you’re here,
Looking. You look for features in my hair;
We’re trained to make eye contact, to make sense
Of creatures by the parts we share. One glance
To find eyes, nose, mouth. Cousin It
Makes us uneasy. We know that It’s a him,
So why the genderless pronoun? My figure tapers
At the waist, widens at the hips like a skirt.
You know who I am, so why do you feel unsettled
By this looking. What would I find if I turn.

3 comments:

La Belette Rouge said...

Not only do I love your poetry, I love your insight. Really nice. Yes, we are always looking for differences and similarities.

Paul Pincus said...

i love this.

cousin it! you're killing me : )

nj... said...

only recently started catching up with your work... just want to let you know, the parallel sense of being able to relate to what you write, in the abstract way of its narration more often than not, is truly, commendable :)

is this more than just a hobby???