self-portrait with cats, with purple, with stacks

of half-read books adorning my desk, with coffee,

 

with mug, with yesterday's mug. self-portrait

with guilt, with fear, with thick-banded silver ring,

 

painted toes, and no make-up on my face. self-

portrait with twins, with giggles, with sister at

 

last, with epistrophy, with crepescule with nellie,

with my favorite things. self-portrait with hard

 

head, with soft light, with raised eyebrow. self-

portrait voo-doo, self-portrait hijinks, self-portrait

 

surprise. self-portrait with patience, with political

protest, with poetry, with papers to grade. self-

 

portrait as thaumaturgic lass, self-portrait as luna

larva, self-portrait as your mama. self-portrait

 

with self at sixteen. self-portrait with shit-kickers,

with hip-huggers, with crimson silk, with wild

 

mushroom risotto and a glass of malbec. self-

portrait with partial disclosure, self-portrait with

 

half-truths, self-portrait with demi-monde. self-

portrait with a night at the beach, with a view

 

overlooking the lake, with cancelled flight. self-

portrait with a real future, with a slight chance of

 

sours, with glasses, with cream, with fries, with

a way with words, with a propositional phrase.