Reflection
This is how I see it:
I walk up to you
and we stand nose to nose
as close as lovers do.
I lift my arms gracefully;
I want this to be aesthetically pleasing for you.
I part my hair with great precision
and without wincing
peel off my scalp.
Now, I am not certain how I should crack my own
skull -
a hammer perhaps?
I then plunge my fingers into the soft mass of my
brain -
and it is not as a brain should be
it is purple and runny
like child's paint.
Now I say:
"Look, this is what you have done, see the mess?"
All this while you stand motionless
nothing plays on your face.
We continue standing nose to nose
as close as lovers do.
So, undaunted
I tear the blouse from my chest
carelessly unhook my bra
plunge my hand under my left breast
and
my heart.
I place it on a silver salver
and say:
"Take it."
You frown
in your own particular way
and smile in a manner I once loved.
You say:
"Silly girl. Look what a mess you have made.
And for what?"
You take the salver from me
and turn it over -
my heart hits the floor.
You say:
"There is no hallmark."
Dot Lubienska is an actress, touring around London schools and appearing as historical characters . This is her first published poem.
Page(s) 29
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