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  • Muliercula:Homunculus as Daughter
  • Adam Vines (bio)

—Pierre Bonnard’s Le Peignoir

She sleepsin her skin,chin tucked

into her chestlike a pigeon

on a power line,hair brushedand brushed

then pinned.My daughter

says, “mermaid,”the woman’schiffon flaring

with gold carpscales, lily padsfloating above

her head likeempty thought

bubbles. Wheremy daughtersees a fish [End Page 206]

tail, I pleadfor rectrices,

a bit of downbeaked to the surfaceand preened,

the signaturean ibis head.

When I saythe daisy petals

behind the bird-woman prove

she is on land,my daughter says,“Silly Daddy,

those are iceminnows

tickling her backto wake her upfrom a nap.”

And at once,water and air

are no longerdistinct elementsand pathways,

and I trulyunderstand

why one mustconcede at timeseven if one is right. [End Page 207]

Adam Vines

ADAM VINES is an assistant professor of English at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he directs the English Honors Program and edits the Birmingham Poetry Review.

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