Nude Series IX: Self-Portrait
Alexandria Petrassi
after Georgia O’Keeffe
rosewood hips float against the sky
settle them on some ledge let
some lines weep into others
paintbrush loaded blue loaded amply peach
landscape like cathedral
body like landscape
more or less naked
pecan tresses wetly lick neck
one breast nods to the left pencil snap and both focus
body all apple flesh soft sweet
and jam blush cheeks chill noon shadow stains
shoulder feet walk through lapis leave
toe prints behind stiff back curves cozy-up knees
some shape as woman at work
naked like single nerve unused to heat after
all this water color of bliss color of blood kept private
there is force in apple flesh I find
no more
fortitude in floating and sleep long in the loam
lush mother
your time to ripple and grow glory
so dapple so dare
this is your world too
Alexandria Petrassi studies poetry in the MFA program at George Mason University. She works as the Assistant Editor at "So to Speak", the editor-in-chief of "Floodmark", and a Digital Communications consultant. Her work has appeared in "The Seldom Review", on The American Writer’s Museum’s blog, and on Stillhouse Press’s blog, "Moonshine Murmurs".