Contrapuntal Opening with a Line from Millay
By Kimiko Hahn
She is neither pink nor pale
She is neither grain nor bud
She is neither pillow nor feather
She is neither out nor outside
nor put out nor outstanding
—not side or siding—
—not mica or formica—
She is neither black nor gray
nor cirrus
She is neither stratus nor
cumulous
She is neither grain nor bud
She is neither pillow nor feather
She is neither out nor outside
nor put out nor outstanding
—not side or siding—
—not mica or formica—
She is neither black nor gray
nor cirrus
She is neither stratus nor
cumulous
She is neither beach nor sand
She is neither nipple nor bottle
She is neither jump-rope nor jacks
nor even parcheesi
She is not Japanese or Japanese
Not single. Not binary. Not theoretical.
Yes, dialectical. Yes.
Notes:
This piece is part of the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize portfolio in the October 2023 issue.
Source:
Poetry
(October 2023)
