FOURTH PERSON
These poems are based on a running commentary that my daughter at age 4 was giving while she was drawing. What amazed me was how at this age, she had a very fluid and undeveloped conception of identity and signification. It was clear that drawing was an unfolding process of discovery for her.
FIRST PERSON
the person with the breasts
the very long toenails
the yellow nose
then another one with breasts
no arms
a toenail taller than a tree
it’s supposed to be a toenail but
in real life its
a balcony
see how it has
a mouth
a fancy mouth
and a nose and ears
so far
now I need to make
a body
this body is
pregnant
see the baby
and the vagina
and now
I have to make
a sun
actually it doesn’t need a sun
that’s the lady’s hat
she’s just planning
to go outside
she doesn’t know that
this picture is warm
*
SECOND PERSON
this guy is mean
he doesn’t like
people
and he has rosy cheeks
but he’s still a kid
he’s got three nipples because
he’s mad
that makes his two nipples turn into
three
his vagina
wait! he’s not a boy
he’s a girl
his bum
his pet cat
here’s his sad cat
the cat’s hair
like the colour of the cat
*
THIRD PERSON
this guy is grown up
he’s a captain and he’s lost his
eye
he‘s a boy so he has
nipples
his forehead
his mouth
his hair
this is his dog and
this is his penis
these are
and this is the guy
his chair
his neck
his hair
his feet
and
he’s looking at
and he’s pretty mad
because they’re all above him and
some are coming down
*
FOURTH PERSON
this guy’s unhappy
and he’s a bird
he’s a Chinese bird
with a hat on him
but he doesn’t know
he’s a boy
nipple
nipple
and he’s very fancy
wings
wings
and he’s flying
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