Seeing Miwa Matreyek’s Infinitely Yours performance, I was struck by the contrast between the beauty and softness of nature elements and the rougher, sickening images of the pollution that slowly swallows our world. When writing this poem I did my best to implement both these concepts that were blended together so beautifully in the performance - life and death, discarded plastic, and sprouting flowers.
inspired by Miwa Matreyek - Infinitely Yours
Do you remember the heart you rubbed to dust between your fingers? You shook up some poison in a backyard can of Coke and watched it bubble and bubble till the tin began to erode. Her stomach emptied till even the butterflies died there between walls of flesh.
Whenever she moved her joints popped like plastic under pressure, her eyes overflowing with tall grasses and wildflowers. You aren’t sure how else to describe a memory stained with blood, but there she was. Short and confused with pink hair hanging just above her shoulders. Her mouth moved but no audible words were spoken.
You held out a crumbling bundle of flowers woven from dust and styrofoam. You remembered her favorite, how kind of you. She smiled sadly.
It was very quiet when you clasped your fingers around her wrist. A 50% off soup can embed itself in her brain. Her jungle eyes wilted.
Now I’ve heard you still whisper to a woman whose voice you hacked away like the trees… Don’t you know her ghost has better things to do than sit on a splintering bench trying to distinguish stars through a blur of whisky and smog?
