I always wanted to be that woman
That brazen hussy clothed in red
The color of a torch singer’s lips or a rooster’s wattle
Fecund, inflamed, unashamed
My trembling limbs spread wide
In rampant, ecstatic bloom
Defying you and your mortal fears
Beguiling you with my lazy sway
As I sing to you in a low, sweet glissando
I will rain my petals down
And make a lush scarlet bower for you
Will you lie in it
Will you roll in it, writhe in it
Will you live before you die?
Accompanying Artwork: Flamboyan by Cristiane Mohallem, 2015, cotton thread on cotton fabric, 39 x 45,6 in