–after Untitled, 2004 by Ren Hang

woman with
a tulip
in her
mouth who
does not
know her
mouth is
a tulip
she has
not tasted
the dirt
kicked up
from women
that came
before her
they drowned
their mouths
so hers
could form
their memories
lilypads swarming
her breasts
as woman
who am
I questioning
her I
am under
water maybe
her mouth
makes myths
for women
while I
speak this
forgotten (his)tory
of tulips:
they’re said
to have
been (un)earthed
by man
it was
a woman
whose death
birthed his
blood &
bloom woman’s
mouth mother
earth birthplace
of mythstory