THE SECRET TO ETERNAL CONFIDENCE

You need this,Said the wizard, waving an assortment of makeup brushesAnd guiding meTowards a seat before a mirrorIn the beauty zone/danger zoneOf the pharmacy.Oh, I said, meekly,My obedience surging In a sudden weird need for beautification.So, I sat,Surrounded by elegantly packaged dreams,And the wizard flewBack and forth between meAnd a fancy Japanese makeup brandOn his magic makeup brushes,Returning each time to dab my face with Yet another Secret to Eternal Confidence.Voilà! he said, preening at himself in the mirror.So, I peered at myself,Wondering whether this might finally beTHE FOUNDATION,The one that takes a decade (or two?) off my many decades,And has the staying power ofMy parents’ marriage.Bonus points for fixing every single one of my problems.I shall keep you posted!

My poetry book, ILLICIT CROISSANTS AT DAWN, will be out sometime in late April!