golden fan

The room is a quiet forest,

a woman is dressed in

burgundy, soft, printed fabric

draped around her shapely

tiny body. No one speaks,

we wait for the show. Asian

music plays from behind the

divider and the beautiful

golden makeup glitters

with timeless tracks of

a history danced upon

the ages. Men travel

miles to glimpse of one,

to be in their presence,

feel a unique woman’s

eyes of khol, white

powdered skin,

golden pins in the swept

hair. Hours of patience

into beautiful art, the art

of a woman whose name

is silent. The human art

of a broken heart, created

to represent beauty, music,

truth. So many hidden

trees inside those eyes,

yet the woman smiles

and takes pictures with

us after the dance. She

has to take a cab

or people stare and ask

her too many questions.

Why are you a geisha?

How old are you?

Do you have a boyfriend?

No man, no age, no answer.

I have forsaken love for art.

 

Photo by Keith Syvinski from FreeImages

Written by 

Christina Strigas is an author and poet, raised by Greek immigrants, who has written four poetry books. Her poetry book LOVE & VODKA was featured by CBC Books in, “Your Ultimate Canadian Poetry List: 68 Poetry Collections Recommended by you.” Her most recent poetry book, LOVE & METAXA, has garnered positive reviews, including Pank Magazine. Strigas’s poems have appeared in Montreal Writes, Feminine Collective, Neon Mariposa Magazine, Pink Plastic House Journal, BlazeVOX, Thimble Lit Magazine, Twist in Time Literary Magazine, The Temz Review, and Coffin Bell Journal, among others. Her poem, “Dead Wife” was nominated for best of the net 2020. In Spring 2022, she will be releasing her fifth poetry book by Free Lines Press, a French indie magazine that publishes experimental poetry. Twitter: @christinastriga Instagram : @c.strigas_sexyasspoet Facebook: Christina Strigas Author

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