Homage

Recently I stumbled upon one of my many Lucille Clifton collections of poetry, and the random page to which I opened revealed one of my most favorite poems. Lucille Clifton - author, poet, distinguished Poet Laureate of Maryland, Professor at St. Mary's College of Maryland - my own beloved teacher - continues to inspire me.

In reading Homage to my Hips, she inspired my own...

Homage to The Girls

These breasts are saggy breasts,

baggy breasts,

wrinkly, deflated-balloon breasts.

They don't fill my perky polka-dot cups

anymore.

They don't demand more support,

anymore.

They're known to ask for additional

assistance

come bikini season.

These breasts were big breasts -

my cups runneth over.

These breasts were milky breasts -

engorging, bonding, nourishing, sustaining...

55 months long.

These breasts were immodest breasts -

bared at bars and backyard barbeques,

at the insistence of

the babe

to

Bond

Nourish

Sustain.

And so

I know them to be

beautiful.