Charm yourself

in the course of the daily drag.

Shoot the earth a love note

under your breath,

and the dirt will write back,

tampering with your substance.

Make believe and trust in the farce:

a scarf could prove as useful as a mask.

Your breath is a typhoon or a leaf blower

Your blood is a river rich with branches,

or rain freshly fallen in a ditch.

Through the gift of self deception

become quicksilver.

Let dulled eyes perceive

a lively cast of alien shapes.

Venus Aphrodite
November 2023