WOMAN

I am not an aesthetic
object,
I don’t really care
what color looks good

on me,
for I am what colors
the Earth most
beautifully

my skin blends perfectly
with the sands,
my eyes flow
with the seas

my smile blooms
with the flowers,
my light shines inseparably
with the sun

My darkness glows
with the moon and the stars,
and when your eyes
have opened—

you will see.

-JANINE CANAN
Consciousness: new & selected Poems
janinecanan.com

Painting by Elisabeth Slettnes