– after Allison Joseph
Velvety lips, nebulous hair,
you are such a vision of beauty,
this man is lost
in your mystery,
in the enigma
of your subterranean eyes.
You are so incredulously dusky,
you radiate with a glow
that dazzles all.
You don’t need any
chemicals, makeup
to enhance your face,
your ethereal features,
silky skin.
Natural beauty belongs to few,
belongs to you, dear lady.
You are so curvaceous
that you are physical perfection,
a fiery presence, magnanimous,
mystical, and bedazzling,
love at first sight.
I, dear lady,
have every reason to admire
and adore you. You have depth,
drive, and skill.
You are so loving,
your naivete
and your sweetness
is all the aid you will ever need. No man,
be he a charmer or charming
with a good heart
will walk away from you.
Lovely lady,
loveliness is what you are,
a combination of confidence,
sense, and decency.
Your parents must be so proud
of your naturalness:
a feminine vision
in a long cotton sundress,
ivory seashell
bracelet on almond
wrist, no pantyhose,
summer sandals
on tanned feet,
toenails painted a soft pink,
your feet luminous in the sun.
Don’t listen to the dullards who dare all
to bare all, no class.
Be yourself, wear
what you want, something classy
that makes you luminesce,
radiates your beauty,
your caramel glow. You melt
like French silk and hot cocoa
when we go out, and locomote
so skillfully, I long to dance
on the club floor with you,
Sahale’s unrelenting beats
of deep house music thudding
at the psychedelic
scene. I can’t help but grin
idiotically at the way
you wear your hair
straight, in waves
or curls, at your animated
smile, chocolate-covered
cherry lips, nice
and even white teeth.
