by Juliette van der Molen
Pianoforte
- p >
kid leather in a drawstring bag,
flowers swing from fingers taps
clacking, smudged tights a leotard
over baby fat, curled out from a
ribbon of shyness onto the barre,
plied into submission for audience
applause, stared into light blind as
the colour bleeds from iris to
cheek, to skin from blue black to
green yellow, sightless.
- f <
escaped to fling paint, canvas
turned on end, full body slide to
wield brush, lifted head,
full ascension, burn the candle until
it melts, flaming off
fingerprints, replaced with
Carnegie nights, Central Park
afternoons, breakfast on
Bleecker, no one watching, left
to dance the way you choose.
Juliette van der Molen is an author and artist living in Wales. Her work has appeared in several publications both online and in print. Her poetry has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of The Net. She is the author of four poetry books: Death Library, Mother, May I?, Anatomy of A Dress and Confess: The Untold Story of Dorothy Good (October 2020). She is the poetry editor & book reviewer for Mookychick Magazine. She has also been shortlisted for Best Reviewer in Literature (Saboteur Awards 2020). You can connect with her via Twitter @j_vandermolen, Instagram @juliette.writes or through her website at www.JulietteWrites.com