- Muliercula:Homunculus as Daughter
—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 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.