masquerade
first i will cry
then i will lose sleep over you
and go quite mad for a few weeks
covering my head with ashes
dressing in sicilian widow’s weeds
i will not care for food or drink
my friends will not know what to think
i’ll sing sad songs in the mirror
trying a range of expressions
letting tears stream down my cheeks
i will curse you and wish for hell
and arrange for my funeral
ordering wild chrysanthemums
out of season
but then i’ll fall in love again
i’ll dance and sing and rhapsodize
and bare my soul
and i will let my laughter ring
as if i’d quite lost my reason
i’ll paint the town so very red
i’ll run fire out of its bed
i wonder how long this will last
before the whole damn thing
begins again
michèle voltaire marcelin
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Michèle Voltaire Marcelin is a poet/writer, performer and painter who was born and raised in Haiti, sojourned in Chile, and currently lives in the United States. The publication of her first novel “La Désenchantée” (CIDIHCA, Montréal-2006) was followed by its Spanish translation “La Desencantada” and two other books of poetry and prose: “Lost and Found” and “Amours et Bagatelles” (CIDIHCA, Montréal-2009) - translated into Spanish by Editorial ALBA as "Amores y cosas sin importancia" - all of which garnered rave reviews. Her writings are also featured in 3 anthologies published in France: "Cahier Haiti" (published by RAL'M-2009), "Terre de Femmes" (Editions Bruno Doucey-2011) "Revue Intranqu'îllités" (2012). She speaks and writes fluently French, English, Spanish and Haitian Creole. She has a BFA from the Leonard Davis Center for the Performing Arts at CUNY and a Masters from The New School for Social Research.
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