ACCOUNT OF MY DAYS
Sequence: 3
POEM OF EXPOSURE
the tender outcry
stains of love appear
on every surface
of your body
outside darkness
and indoor light
make windows mirrors
you are surrounded
by yourself
love's stain visible
every time you
seek your face
you touch it but
what put it there
was not your hand
therefore your hand
cannot wipe it away
what if others see
so you rub harder
promise renewal
the stain deepens
until you will only
wear your face on
days off and then
you put it on
with relief the freedom
that comes
from the familiar
the well-used what does
not have to be clean