she painted each alternative life on her face in the shape of the petal of a different flower
it was a strange illusion, this petal face, which meant that no one could recognise her
all they saw was the iris, the orchid, the jacaranda, the jasmine, the mimosa
she knew each life because she occupied them in dreams and in the night
she was dinosaur, queen, refugee, butler, knife, ostrich, mountain
in the morning she was the lapse of water in mirrors
she lost herself eventually in a garden where all knowledge
was rescinded and what came instead was the perfume of flowers
emanating from her in all directions
From: Origin, Shearsman Books, 2022