Vanessa Wachira
A Woman’s Blues
This piece was
inspired by the following painting:
Henri Matisse. “Blue Nude.
(Souvenir de Biskra).” 1907.
Oil on canvas. The Cone Collection.
Like every woman,
she reflects upon her body,
Eyes downcast, taking inventory of her
many parts.
The human body is ephemeral—
like the most beautiful things in life.
Flat stomachs have
lost their tone,
Round, full breasts eventually begin to sag….
She knows it’s only natural—
they too will separate and, like all things, fall apart.
She lies amongst
the ferns and the bushes,
Hoping to absorb or perhaps borrow
the beauty of the neighboring blooms.
She wants to be
willowy,
Part of the nature that surrounds her,
but wilts more like a flower that has past its prime.
The sunlight
reaches down to her,
but barely kisses her skin.
And so depression, like blue shadows,
cling to her hips and limbs.