|Poem| Arterial Blood

 

Arterial Blood

-- To the woman in “The Fur Coat” painted by Matisse (1936)

 

Covering the woman’s body, aren’t the scarlet clouds?

The clouds are pulling in the geothermal heat

Blocking, blocking the airway

 

Chunky the stuffy knees are

A gentle wish twining up around the chair

Chunky the right hand laid on top of left hand is

You hear the murky sound of breathing, don’t you?

 

Note on the Muse:

When a woman wears fur, arterial blood comes to mind

That’s why Matisse paints the woman’s skirt scarlet red

 

© Ryang Suh, MD 2024.01.17