Self Portrait
No lay off from this condensery.--Lorine Niedecker
Peach floor, pale yellow walls
art teacher sits patiently
waiting for end of hour.
Be here in mundane space
or fly away imaginary--I fly
away, smoke a Rothman or
Galoises on the Seine.
Sky's cloudy grey back in art room
pictures of van Gogh, Matisse, Picasso.
My self portrait in colored pencil, cartoonlike,
stares back.
Lips funny shaped, nose nonexistent
eyes electric blue, cheeks rosy--
she wears fuzzy fuschia sweater
hair pulled up in ponytail.
She is me at 29, compassionate
wanting to succeed, she is shy--
I mean I, I drew this image
I am the I of this portrait.
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