Nude as an Optical Illusion
 

body as a kind of deer blind, age nine
 
nothing of substance, clothes empty of
 
body. as one disappears underwater
 
                    or behind a fence, think nothing                     of it: body as one becomes
illusion.       this is what you must tell yourself :                   it is not your will, it is not your
                   
                    “someone could have seen you”                             “but no one did”
                   
“no more argument.”
                   
body as a kind of examination, a study
                   
in tethering oneself against one’s love. No
                   
devotion would be worth the slaughter                           nor for lamb nor for daughter nor
                   
                                        (laughter), a shutting door.