An Illustrated Life

She wears her heart on her sleeve.

A bird of paradise flits lightly up the back of her hand,

And strength settles
like a delicate silver yoke
across the back of her neck.

She carries the dates of her childrens’
births
            and
             deaths
on her breasts.

Sayings she cannot forget
travel up
and
down
her thighs.

Her wedding ring is permanent
even though her marriage
was not.

Fantastic jungles
explode with color
from her waist.
She knows they’re there
but cannot see them,
though she can feel the jaguars
crawling up her spine.

She has wings on her ankles,
a mustache on her finger,
a star on her belly,
and one tiny tear
in the corner of her eye.

and no regrets.