“Le dernier adagio”by Amanda Cohen ’18
After “Black Swan” the movie
her bleeding toes kiss open mouths
trapped beneath rotted floors
palms strangle white bars
in haunted mirrors
birds punch through knots of
oil and broken nails
that breed bruises on
sharp swords of bone
fur engulfs a crooked spine
snapped into her black leotard
of flushed skin and
feathers
torn dolls dance on thorny
wheels and spin into
pools of knives that slice
through beautiful bodies
a pale face cracks under
metal crowns and smoky
wings of dust that conceal
her currant eyes