Fountain, by Noah Westfall

Fountain, by Marcel Duchamp (France). Replica 1964, original 1917.

Fountain

last night you asked if I would take a sip 
from your fountain, tempting me to taste 
the union of porcelain bodies 

you cracked my ivory shell, hard boiled 
I’m yoked and scrambling, I thought
I believed in truth and beauty

until I asked, is R. Mutt your lover? 
no longer able to savour the way delicate 
flavours coalesce on the tongue,

my throat is parched, I go for a drink
it smells of rotten eggs and the only 
thing I can taste is toilet water

Noah Westfall

Noah Westfall recently graduated from Santa Clara University with a degree in philosophy. He enjoys reading and writing poetry as a medium for self reflection. He will be pursuing a Masters in public health and hopes to continue engaging with poetry.