Lovely

You look lovely with your

cocoa powder skin and

soft-sheen nape-length hair

black and effortlessly sweeping

your forehead reminiscent

of a 1950s-era soda-pop shop

background character.

Your pure white dress

cotton embroidered eyelet

fitted to the torso sweetening

at the hips into creaseless waves

for your knees’ peekaboo game.

Your mustard demi-sweater

sheltering shy shoulders

at modesty’s request 

(modesty cannot demand).

Lovely, I hope you are happy.

Ahead of me in line

you mutely purchase

your red leaf lettuce

and green leaf lettuce

and single cucumber.

Your beige hosiery

wrapping up cocoa calves

into humble suede pale

brown flats - your go-to

shoes for every occasion.

Your makeup-free fresh

face modestly adorned by

pearl post earrings and

clean-lined brows framing

unassuming dark eyes

meeting no one’s beckon.

Lovely, I hope you are happy.

Too often someone visioning

as lovely as you is just

pleasant-faced-masking

over a pain-filled life endured

nobly with passive grace.

Lovely, I hope you are happy

for my sake as much as yours.

        ~Volpini Amentum Arete Anemone

Poets Poetry Poems Relationships Sex Express Expression