Max Factor

In praise of lipstick

Terry Wolverton

Shh! Frolic, girl about town. High-strung
metropolitan. Crème de la femme craving
stiletto frenzy. Strapless visionary tempting
carnal x-treme. Seismic B-cup, overload
underground odyssey. Underplay
underworld fetish. Mischievous voltage,
scratch sultry alibi. Reflect pure attitude.
Chronic film noir dark side, Lady Danger.
 Bask hot Tahiti coral reef. Bruise fleshpot,
crush love junkie enigma. Real faux,
Spanish fly. Desire retro coquette, cherries
jubilee. Mystic diva. Love bauble. Touch
 Uzi impulse, giddy bombshell fusion.
Cherish atomic rose, captive metallic sun.
Destined meltdown, 3-D exhibitionist myth.
Pretty please, pink poodle. Foxy stray dog.

Terry Wolverton is author of six books: Embers, a novel-in-poems; Insurgent Muse: life and art at the Woman’s Building, a memoir, Bailey’s Beads, a novel; and three collections of poetry: Black Slip, Mystery Bruise and Shadow and Praise (where the above poem appears). A new novel, The Labrys Reunion, will be published in 2008. She has also edited thirteen literary anthologies, including Mischief, Caprice, and Other Poetic Strategies. She is the founder of Writers At Work, a creative writing center in Los Angeles, where she teaches fiction and poetry. Shadow and Praise may be ordered from Main Street Rag. “In Praise of Lipstick” was first published in Columbia Poetry Review, Columbia College, Chicago, No. 18, Spring 2005.  Reprinted with permission of author.

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Speechless Spring 2007
Copyright © 2007 Published by Tebot Bach