seasons of not gilding the lily

--& when you went out in the world
after the long disease of yourself
& saw the colors of the world
right before they arrive, the dulls
& browns of the absolute season,
mauves streaming in the waters
of a year, you knew the features
of the world are the same
as the language of the soul
& by traveling in those elements
you'd lose your fear - -
Brenda Hillman "To a Desert Poet"

"to guild refined gold, to paint the lily...is wasteful and ridiculous excess." Shakespeare

"everyone who is popular has long straight hair"

"i want to start working out, you see this bump on my leg (her thigh muscle) it makes my legs look big."

"i have no eyebrows. i hate that"

"my rib cage is too big"

"why can't my feet be the size of yours mom"

"it is your fault i am genetically missing a tooth."

"my skin is clearer when i am tan, can you get me face tanner?"

"name a white girl who has hair like mine."

"i have an app for getting my abs flat. they used to be flat."

"why don't i have a chest."

tears when running late "mom, you know how i feel when i don't have make up on"

"i don't want anyone not to like me."

"i can go every sunday and get my hair blown out for the school week."

"i NEED a pedicure"

"i NEED a massage at the spa"

"can we go to the plastic surgeon to have the mole on my face removed."

"a new mole! right in the middle of my forehead. great, now i look like an indian."

"alex is getting hair extensions...hint hint."

"i want my hair dark, it makes me look older."

intense.

"consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin." matt. 6:28