 Two Women, by Leonor Fini, 1939. Two Women Every “can’t believe SHE is YOUR sister” spikes acid through my veins. Shouldn’t my little sister shadow me, copy my moves? Not her. She arrived an adult, no, a presence, wrapped in a precious, doll-sized body. As she grew, I faded. I pretended she wasn’t there, even while crouching at key holes, trying to make sense of her – the strut, the here I am! tsunami when she enters a room. Surely she can’t wear lit candles in her hair, but I see them. Others just see the glow. Alarie Tennille Alarie Tennille was born and raised in Portsmouth, Virginia, and graduated from the University of Virginia in the first class admitting women. She became fascinated by fine art at an early age, even though she had to go to the World Book Encyclopedia to find it. Today she visits museums everywhere she travels and spends time at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri, where her husband is a volunteer guide. Alarie’s poetry book, Running Counterclockwise, contains many ekphrastic poems. Please visit her at alariepoet.com.
2 Comments
John Creekmore
3/9/2019 04:52:57 pm
The upper case letters combined with the spiking acid image in verse one tells us exactly how the speaker feels. The shadow and fading references in verse two amplify it. The disparity between the key hole and tsunami in the next verse gives us a sense of how the envy/ resentment is growing. The last verse caps the theme beautifully with the Images of lit candles and glow showing the frustration and resignation of the speaker in a grimly humorous way. The poem is a great portrait of sibling rivalry in a way in which we don't usually expect it. 3/9/2019 06:16:03 pm
Thank you for your very thorough review, John. The only thing better than hearing "loved it" from a reader is hearing the specific reasons why. Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
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March 2023
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