DAUGHTERS, 2021, shellac ink on paper, 9 x 12
DAUGHTERS
1
Venus, are you
gazing downward
in shame,
or inward
in hope?
How will you find your way without feet?
Must I make them for you?
How will I know you without a face?
Will you show me yours in a dream?
2
Here’s some advice for you, Venus
Partner with a centaur
then your children can roam on hooves
your daughters will overrun the world with their joy
With a flower as their compass
and the moon as their map
the weight of their gallop
will carve
an ebullient melody
into the earth
3
If you could float
looking down
you would see
their prints, as they canter
stamping a widening asterisk
into the curve of the earth
with you
firmly planted
at its center
4
Venus, are you
gazing downward
in shame,
or inward
in hope?