Eden
1
About can mean near
or nearly.
A book can be about something
or I can be about
to do a thing
and then refrain.
To refrain is to stop yourself.
A refrain
is a repeated phrase.
2
This table is an antique
from the early Machine Age.
The indented
circle within a circle
motif
which appears
at three-inch intervals
around the base
may be a nod
to craftsmanship
or may be a summary
dismissal of same.
It is charming
in its mute simplicity.
3
People will ask, "Why should we care about this unattractive character?"
despite the fact that turning yourself into an admirable character
has been considered gauche for as long as I can recall.
The word "transparent" is often affixed to such efforts
while the mystification surrounding the unflattering self-portrait
at least provides some cover.
Now someone will say, "You don't need cover
unless you're standing naked at a window
shouting, 'Look up here!'"
Copyright Credit: Rae Armantrout, "Eden" from Itself. Copyright © 2015 by Rae Armantrout. Reprinted by permission of Wesleyan University Press.
Source: Itself (Wesleyan University Press, 2015)