she speaks at you sideways
through a mouth full of pins
her hands busy with tickertape
tulle and sequins
brushed top hats
made from llama wool
a ringmaster’s cape
hemmed in endangered fur
an aerialist’s
suit of skin-tight Lycra
and a swag of monstrous pink fluff
for a clown’s pantaloons—
she’s saving money
using recycled lingerie and shirts
her best friend
an antique French
Siegel and Stockman mannequin
on a cast iron four-strut base
its papier mâché torso
calico-covered and pinnable—
if she were allowed to choose
she’d prefer nakedness
an isolated beach
crowd-less and dangerous
waves like a performance
of entropy
no clouds the undressed sky
her childhood
a lick of sea spray
salty and ultimately see-through—
Published in Cider Press Review, Volume 23, Issue 5.
Jennifer Harrison has published eight poetry collections, most recently Anywhy (Black Pepper, Melbourne 2018). She founded and manages the Dax Poetry Collection housed at The Dax Centre, University of Melbourne, Australia.
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