THE MASK’S SELF PORTRAIT. Her face makes promises when no lover remains who believes in promises. Her mouth laughs crooked deep into the hall mirror waiting for the postman or an interrupting ringtone. She is
THE MASK’S SELF PORTRAIT.
Her face makes promises
when no lover remains
who believes in promises.
Her mouth laughs crooked
deep into the hall mirror
waiting for the postman
or an interrupting ringtone.
She is no longer a joker
just a blend of sensations
quoting spite and slander
without a thought between.
Her belief in looking good
is tested in photographs
but no one touches her.
Her promise is to cheat
the hours between sighs
with a spontaneous embrace
and a love of mischief.
When she greets guests,
they scan her upper lip
and the brown crepe skin
freckling her cleavage
for any sign of consequence.
Robin Lindsay Wilson
Robin is a lecturer in Acting and Performance at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh. Three collections of his poetry have been published by Cinnamon Press – ‘Ready Made Bouquets’ (2007), ‘Myself and Other Strangers (2015) and ‘Backstage in Paradise’ (2019). His poetry has appeared in many UK poetry magazines.