Paul Cézanne, Oil on canvas, 1877
a spectacle of skin and rested limbs
draped on an edifice of cloth––
framed at the apex of a
Man-made mandorla––
alluring. opaline. bare. the femme
fatale stared upon by a
menagerie of mingled limbs––
angled strokes yield to a
laddish troop of
lawyers. writers. painters. a bishop
braced with a crozier
to magistrate over their
weapons and methods
of choice and approach––
easel. trumpets. pen. the eyes
of Men cannot be trusted
yet it is Hers that are deep
and red and missing––
She alone is expressionless.
eternal. feminine.
perpetual. sin.
immutable. immoral.
I don’t know these Men
but I know Her, well.
Irina Gagiu recently graduated from Andrews University as a Psychology major with minors in English and Sociology. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Mental Health Counseling at Boston College. While it is her main goal to enter this clinical field, she has always loved to write and hopes to continue to do so in the future. In her free time, Irina also loves to read, sing, and play her violin.
