13^th WR

BUTTERFLY TATTOO

"She is Psyche, the butterfly,
out of the cocoon." -- H.D.

Shalimar, the snake dancer, she says to Bardo
in his tattoo parlour, east part of the midway:
"So, my latest man, he's gone now. He run off
with Sheena, the girl who feeds the elephants.
The long-haired one who smells like juicy fruit.
The one with the tits and the cut-off jeans."

"Bardo," she says. "I wish these days would just
crawl clean off my calendar. I don't sleep well.
The room aches, the bed's too big
and I can't scrub the smell of him
off my sheets."

Bardo gives her the tattoo book to choose from.
"Shalimar," he says. "I told you before, sweetheart,
these younger guys, they don't know diddly.
What you been doin' with yourself
that you are this way?"

"Well, I sit in my trailer, and the rain sounds good.
I check my face for new lines
and watch my red hair grow out from the roots.
I paint my toenails a bright cranberry
so I at least look alive.
I spend my nights drinkin' navy rum
out of a coffee cup
and watchin' reruns of Flashdance and Saturday Night Fever.
Then I dance with my snake, or I dance alone."

"Shalimar," Bardo says, "You got to get yourself
some pride. You're a cut above this. You know
you got the smarts."

Shalimar turns the bookleaves over and over.
"I want somethin', Bardo," she says.
"Somethin' that'll dance on my skin
like Paulo on the high wire.
Put is some place
my lover's hands knew well.
Let it sear into my sweat
'cause I want to burn him out of me."

"So, what'll it be, sweetheart?" Bardo asks.
"See anything there that strikes your eye?"

"I'll take the butterfly," Shalimar says.
"The orange one, with the long black wings.
"It's an awful nice shape and it looks pretty fancy."
And she rolls her skirt high up her left thigh.
"Put it right here. It'll show
when I'm dancin'."

Bardo goes for his needles and dyes.
"Comin' right up," he says. "it's gonna be gorgeous.
I'll put it on smooth as a baby's butt end.
The way I work you won't hardly
feel nothin'."

- Genine Hanns