The
Book of Repulsive Women
Elusive
i.
pale
body
hard
thighs
star-light
as you are
your
short arms
ear
lace
lip
cool
to feel ripe
soaked skin
rain
face half
strangled
sprawling
over the sharp of grass
lean
and coil across
into
the damp madness of woman
ii.
strain
out of space
musician
in heat
call
this soft spot guilt
your
mouth spins loose
sharp
cries
shout
modern babylon
look up
vague
blue veins
bulging
beast
I
mean breast
iii.
more
plunging under
spin
into your mother’s tablecloth
call
this a game trickster
draw a card
another
upside-down naked woman
spoiled
soft
and still dewy
tongue
dancing on cheek
iv.
roll
out of town
cross
meekly in the streets
use
fast feet
window-shop
chinaware
upturned vacant rooms
swear
her eyes bloom into gold
pray
words won’t break it off
confess
her dress to dirty sheets
at
the stairs disperse
curse
out through an open door
Think
of a woman
at the playground
on the balcony of an old castle
knee deep in a puddle
swimming on a beach somewhere
storing snails in a pail
flying overhead
light
strong
by the chimney
occasionally
out of sight
tuned
to golden hour
a wind song in the hymn of girl
fleshy clapping
six rings of a small bell
an earworm
a chime echoing east
soiled
on the other side of the road
covered by a crowd
at the backend of a rotting shed
by the underside of an overpass
a lily
Sophia
Magliocca is a
Master’s student in English Literature at Concordia University (Tiohtià:ke/
Montreal) where she researches the effects of (mis)interpreting how women's
legacies are documented across literary history. Sophia is a known lover of
travel, pasta and orange cats. Most recently she has published poetry in
Canadian literary journals such as Yolk and Montreal Writes. Her
debut chapbook Girl gives long-fingered self-portrait is forthcoming this
month with above/ground press. Find her on Instagram @sophmagli