Persona Poem

this poem’s persona is me
If I had a
terminal diagnosis
which I do have

so what is the mask
I hide behind?
I bought a cheap black dress
printed with red cherries

like the one I had
when I was young
and my mother hated it so much
she wanted to rip it off me

really what she wanted to rip
was the female form
the body with its bleeding
Its miscarriages, its children

this poem’s persona is me
if I was mortal
which I am

Miriam Sagan is the author of 30 books of poetry, memoir, and fiction. She blogs at Miriam's Well -- http://miriamswell.wordpress.com Read other articles by Miriam, or visit Miriam's website.