Hair, pinned up tight
Binding, curls unyielding
Like words, bound in dictionaries
Linked chains
Weigh heavy
On weary shoulders
Unabridged; worldly worries
She carries
Herself, with style and grace
No loss for words
Draped in the velvety meaning
Robes of soft, but solid black
Grounding the energy
That attacks
She reaches for stability
From earths, hard grown
Wood lacquered, like her tongue
Turning, slightly slipping
Left, but right
Cleverly hiding falter
In her painted posture
This is GORGEOUS!! The notion of this poet and her ‘painted posture’ is packed full of such riches – and such beautiful imagery! I’ve read this through several times – and each time I uncover another image, another layer of meaning. Beautiful!
Imagining this as a portrait of a poetess is rich, and you explore the metaphor beautifully. You even catch the discomfort of the pose.